As you all know, I like my sandwiches and today I am up for making the Best Tuna Melt! As always, In order to make the best, you need to use the best products that are available to you.

What Makes a Great Tuna Melt?

My choices for my Tuna Melt are; Tonnino Tuna in a glass jar and Arugula for my lettuce choice. For my cheeses, I am using Gruyere and Jarlsberg Swiss. A lot of people like to top off their sandwiches with a sharp cheddar or some American. You get no problem from me! Do what makes you happy!

**Some of the ingredients for my Tuna Melt**

For this recipe, I made a rounded croissant roll using the Pillsbury Pre-made Buttery Croissant tube. If you like using croissants for sandwiches, this is a quick way to make a rounded roll to fit all your sandwich needs and desires!

Please don’t feel the pressure that I am only suggesting you use the Croissant Dough for your Sandwich Bread. It might be something new for you to try and it does make an awesome Tuna Melt!

If you are more traditional, go for the basic Tuna Melt; Tuna Salad in between two slices of your favorite bread, (I like Pickled Red Onions) and your favorite cheese.

How to Make a Roll from Pre-Made Croissant Dough

All you have to do is turn the croissant triangles into one big rectangle. Roll it up around itself as if you were doing a cinnamon bun. Press it flat before it goes in the oven. So easy!

However, you don’t need to think that you have to use croissants to make this recipe. Use your favorite bread, roll, or bun.

Let’s Make Some Pickled Red Onions

Adding some pickled onions balances well with all the fat we are adding to our sandwich from the cheeses and the mayo.

Try my Pickled Red Onion recipe below to top off your sandwich.

An additional option you may want to try is to layer on some Olive Salad as if you were making a New Orlean’s style Muffaleta.

**Tuna Melt with a layer of Olive Salad**

I hope you enjoy this recipe. Please leave your comments down below and as always, thanks for Spending Time in My Kitchen!

The Best Tuna Melt

Recipe by David Frank – Spending Time In My Kitchen

Sandwiches

Prep time

minutes

Ingredients

Tuna Mixture
2 – 6 oz Jars / Cans of Tuna Fish, packed in olive oil and drained
1/2 Cup Favorite Mayo
1 Small stalk Celery, small dice (use celery leaves and hearts of celery)
2 Stalks Green onion, minced
1 Tbl Fresh dill, chopped
1 Tbl Capers, chopped
1 tsp Dijon
2 Tbl Lemon juice
Sandwich Ingredients
4 Slices Gruyere cheese / Jarlsberg Swiss Cheese/Sharp Cheddar
Arugula
Slice of tomato per sandwich
Finishing salt for tomato
Pickled red onions
Your favorite bread (or croissant)
Pickled Red Onion Ingredients
1 lg Red onion
1 Cup Red wine vinegar/White distilled vinegar
2 tsp Salt
3 Tbl Sugar
1 Cup Water

Directions

Make Your Bun
Separate your Pillsbury Croissant dough into 4 rectangles.
Roll the rectangles into long cylinders. Roll the cylinders into a circle and press flat.
Preset oven to 350°. Place rolls on a baking sheet and cook until lightly golden in color.
Tuna Mixture
Flake tuna in a bowl and set aside.
Chop up capers and set aside in another large bowl; small dice celery and add to the bowl.
Mince green onion. Add green onion, dijon mustard, and lemon juice to the bowl. Combine all ingredients in the bowl until mixed well.
Add flaked tuna to the bowl with all the ingredients and combine well.
Add mayo to the bowl and mix well.
Quick Red Onion Pickle
Cut the red onion in half; then cut the half onion into thin half-moon slices. Add onions to a one-pint mason jar.
Add the vinegar, sugar, salt, and water to a small saucepan. Turn heat to medium. Cook until sugar and salt have dissolved.
Place the mixture into the jar with the red onions. Let it come to room temperature. (20 minutes)
Time to Build the Sandwich
Bottom slice of bread
Layer 1 – Mayo
Layer 2 – Cheese (2 slices Gruyere)
Layer 3 – Tomato – (add a little finishing salt on your tomato to bump up the flavor)
Layer 4 – Arugula
Layer 5 – Tuna Mixture
Layer 6 – Cheese (2 slices Jarlsberg Swiss)
Layer 7 – Top off with Pickled Red Onion (After melting the cheese)
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Turn on the broiler. Place the layered bottom slice of bread under the broiler until the cheese has melted and turned nice and gooey!
Add mayo to the bottom of the Top Slice. Butter the top and bottom of each slice. Add pickled red onion to your sandwich. Place the sandwich on a panini press to crisp up the sandwich. ( Or place your sandwich in the oven at 350° to get a little crispy)
Time to eat! Enjoy!!
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Optional More Traditional Method
Take 2 slices of sourdough and butter both sides and place on a small baking sheet. Place under a broiler. Toast until one side is golden brown. Flip to the other side and lightly toast. Leave off the tomato and arugula.
Place a heaping amount of tuna salad on your bread. Top off your sandwich with your cheese. Place under the broiler to melt your cheese. Optional: Top off with Pickled Red Onions!

Notes

Try different kinds of vinegar to bring different tastes to your pickled onions. Basic white vinegar works as well as other varieties; such as apple cider vinegar, rice vinegar, or champagne vinegar.
If there are a lot of seeds and pulp in your slice of tomato I like to remove that pulp before adding it to the sandwich. The pulp can add too much moisture to the sandwich.
If you would rather use slices of bread and want a more traditional tuna melt; Take 2 slices of sourdough and butter both sides and place on a small baking sheet. Place under a broiler. Toast until one side is golden brown. Flip to the other side and lightly toast. Leave off the tomato and arugula.