Tuna Melts with English Muffins

The most delicious Tuna Melt ever!!  Seriously, they’re so tasty with English Muffins, tuna salad, cheddar cheese, and a special sauce that takes them to another level.  They make a quick and easy, budget-friendly lunch or dinner that can feed your whole crew!

I’m over here trying to do my part and create some delicious meals that are budget-friendly and easy, using groceries that are readily available.

So today I’m rolling out tuna melts! 

You know, basically tuna salad served on some sort of bread, open-faced with cheese layered on top, that’s heated and served warm.  Mmm, so yummy!

When we lived in Virginia there was a local restaurant that made them so tasty.  They took theirs up a notch by adding a Rémoulade sauce.  Basically a mayo-based condiment similar to tartar sauce.   

So being the saucy girl that I am – and in the name of deliciousness – I followed suit.  Yep, I made my own special sauce.  Of course you could skip the sauce or just add mayo to yours if you prefer. 

Yes – there are always options!

And speaking of options, you have a variety of options to choose from when it comes to what you put in your tuna salad.

You can go the traditional route with just mayo and tuna fish, or you can mix in some tasty ingredients to boost the flavor and add texture.

That’s what I did with mine.  My tuna salad has mayo (or Greek yogurt if you prefer), canned tuna, celery, red onions, Dijon mustard, fresh parsley, and a little salt and pepper.  It’s such a tasty combination.

But like I always say – you do you my friend!  

Other ingredients that would be delicious in tuna salad:

• Fresh jalapenos or jarred jalapenos.
• Avocados, which are a great replacement for mayo (just saying).
• Pickles or relish (either dill or sweet). 
• Chopped fresh tomatoes could be nice, or you could hold off and add a slice on top like I did.
• Other herbs… the B man loves dill in his tuna salad, and fresh Tarragon would also be nice.
• Boiled eggs is what my mom would always add to ours growing up, and it’s a favorite of mine.
• Jarred or fresh bell peppers could add some nice color and still have a mild flavor.
• Sliced almonds or other nuts could add a nice crunchy texture and even more protein.
• Other peppers (either fresh or jarred like Pepperoncino’s).
• And if you like to spice things up a bit you could add some hot sauce like Frank’s or Tabasco or even Sriracha or Sambal Oelek.

Is anyone getting hungry!?? 

ME:  Over here with two hands and two feet in the air.

Before I show you how to make this yumminess we should talk about the bread annnd the cheese - of course!

I mentioned tuna melts are traditionally served open-faced, but honestly there are no "tuna melt police" to come knocking on your door if you make this into a traditional sandwich.

I used some healthy sprouted whole grain Ezekiel English muffins for mine, and since I’m always mindful of carbs I opted to serve them open-faced.

Bread options for your tuna melt:

• Honestly any kind of bun would work.  For example if you have some leftover hotdog or hamburger buns laying around or in the freezer – they would work great.
• Sliced bread of course.  White bread, wheat bread, 9-grain bread, etc. ... Oh and don’t forget the gluten-free bread – Udi’s seems to be a fan favorite among my gluten-free friends.
• English Muffins, whatever variety you like: plain, wheat, sprouted grain, gluten-free.  They’re a favorite in our house – we even use them in place of hamburger buns.

I think you get the idea… you can use whatever bread you want.  Just go walk down the bread aisle and use whatever they have in stock!

Cheese options for your tuna melt:

And same goes for the cheese… I opted for sliced sharp cheddar.  But you could also use shredded cheese.  The possibilities are vast… here are a few types to get your wheels spinning: 

• Any version of cheddar (mild, medium, sharp, smoked etc.)
• Provolone
• Swiss
• American
• Colby
• Havarti
• Monterey Jack
• Pepper Jack

Now that we’re all drooling all over ourselves let’s make some tuna melts!!

How to make a tuna melt:

1. First make the special sauce, or skip it if you aren’t using it.  But I definitely recommend it!

2. Next, preheat the broiler and set the rack about 5-6 inches from the heat source.
3. In a medium-sized mixing bowl combine the tuna, mayonnaise, celery, red onion, Dijon mustard, parsley, salt and pepper.

4. Cut the English muffins in half and spread them out on a baking sheet.

5. Toast under the broiler for 1-2 minutes or to your liking.  I recommend turning the oven light on and watching them closely so they don’t get too hard and burned – speaking from experience. 😀  PS:  All ovens are different so yours might require more or less time.

6. Spoon and spread the sauce (if using) onto each English muffin.  You can also use mayo or Greek yogurt if preferred. 

7. Top each halved muffin with ¼ cup of the tuna salad.  

8. Then add a slice of tomato... 

9. and cheddar cheese.

10. Place them under the broiler and heat for 1-2 minutes, until the cheese has melted.

Serve them with extra sauce if you’d like, and devour immediately!!

And there you have it… the best tuna melt ever!!  

A perfectly delicious, quick and easy, budget-friendly lunch or dinner that makes enough to feed your whole crew!

If you want more genius simple, easy ways to use canned tuna, try these Healthy Tuna Cakes with Spicy Lemon Yogurt Sauce, my fan-favorite Tuna Cakes with Jalapeño and Cilantro , or the classic Tuna Pasta Casserole reinvented as a muffin cup!