Cheese And Tuna: Melty Magic's Perfect Pair

Tuna melts are a classic American diner food, and there are many ways to make them. The right cheese for a tuna melt is a matter of personal preference. Some popular options include cheddar, Swiss, provolone, mozzarella, Monterey Jack, and Pepper Jack. The key is to choose a cheese that melts well and complements the other ingredients in the sandwich.

Tuna melt sandwich recipes

Overview

A tuna melt is a hot sandwich with a filling of tuna salad and cheese. It is usually served on toasted bread. The sandwich is said to have been invented in the 1960s when a bowl of tuna salad tipped over onto a grilled cheese sandwich.

Ingredients

The ingredients for a tuna melt are:

• Bread
• Tuna
• Cheese
• Butter or mayonnaise
• Seasonings

Bread

Bread is the foundation of your sandwich. You can use any type of bread you like, but sturdy varieties like sourdough, French, Italian, or country loaf work best for holding all the fillings.

Tuna

For the tuna filling, use solid white tuna canned in extra virgin olive oil or water. Drain the liquid and flake the tuna with a fork. You can also add other ingredients to the tuna salad, such as:

• Mayonnaise
• Celery
• Pickles
• Red onion
• Lemon juice
• Mustard
• Spices (e.g. steak seasoning, red pepper flakes, cayenne)
• Fresh herbs (e.g. parsley, dill, tarragon)

Cheese

As the name suggests, a tuna melt should have cheese that melts well. You can use cheddar, provolone, mozzarella, Monterey Jack, Swiss, Havarti, Colby Jack, or American cheese.

Assembly and Cooking

To assemble the sandwich, spread butter or mayonnaise on one side of each slice of bread. On the unbuttered side, add the tuna salad, tomato slices, and cheese. Top with the other slice of bread, buttered side up.

Cook the sandwich in a skillet or on a griddle over medium heat until the bread is golden brown and the cheese is melted. You can also bake the sandwich in the oven or toast it under a broiler.

Variations and Serving Suggestions

You can add extra toppings to your tuna melt, such as:

• Lettuce
• Avocado
• Raw or pickled onion
• Capers
• Chives or green onions
• Hard-boiled egg
• Spicy pepper sauce

Serve your tuna melt with a side of classic potato chips, potato salad, or soup.

Tuna melt cheese options

The classic tuna melt is a sandwich with a layer of tuna salad and cheese, grilled to golden-brown perfection. While there are many ways to make a tuna melt, the choice of cheese is essential to achieving that signature melt. So, what are the best cheese options for a tuna melt?

Cheddar Cheese

Cheddar is a popular choice for tuna melts, adding a sharp, tangy flavour to the sandwich. It pairs well with the tuna and creates a gooey, stretchy texture that is simply irresistible. Cheddar also comes in different varieties, such as mild, medium, or extra sharp, allowing you to customise the flavour profile to your taste.

Swiss Cheese

If you're looking for a more sophisticated option, Swiss cheese is a great choice. It has a mild, nutty flavour and a creamy texture that melts beautifully. Swiss cheese is often used in Jewish deli-style tuna melts, where it complements the relish, dill, and celery flavours perfectly.

Provolone

For a more robust flavour, provolone cheese is an excellent option. It has a slightly smoky taste and a stretchy, stringy texture when melted, making it perfect for tuna melts. Provolone can also be swapped out for mozzarella or Monterey Jack for a slightly different flavour profile.

American Cheese

American cheese, also known as processed cheese, is a classic choice for grilled cheese sandwiches and can work well in a tuna melt. It has a mild flavour and melts easily, creating a gooey texture. However, some people may find it a bit too gooey and prefer a cheese with more flavour, such as cheddar.

Other Options

Other cheese options that work well in a tuna melt include Pepper Jack, Colby Jack, Havarti, Muenster, Gruyère, and even low-moisture mozzarella. You can also experiment with different types of cheese to find your perfect combination.

Tuna melt bread options

A tuna melt is a sandwich with a lot of variations. You can make it with different types of bread, cheese, and fillings. Here are some bread options to consider for your tuna melt:

Sourdough

Sourdough bread is a popular choice for tuna melts. It is a type of bread that has a slightly sour taste and a chewy texture. It is made with a sourdough starter, which is a mixture of flour and water that has been fermented by wild yeast and bacteria. Sourdough bread is known for its tanginess and complex flavour, which can complement the tuna melt filling well. It is also a fairly sturdy bread that can hold up to the wet filling without getting soggy.

French or Italian Bread

French or Italian bread is another good option for tuna melts. These breads are typically crusty on the outside and soft on the inside, with a light and airy texture. They add a nice crunch to the sandwich. French or Italian bread is also sturdy enough to hold the tuna melt filling without falling apart.

Rye or Whole Wheat Bread

If you prefer a heartier, more nutritious option, rye or whole wheat bread is a good choice. These breads have a denser texture and a slightly sweeter flavour than other types of bread. They are made with whole grains, which gives them a higher fibre and nutrient content. Rye or whole wheat bread can add a nice earthy flavour to your tuna melt.

Country Loaf

A country loaf, also known as a rustic loaf, is a type of bread that is typically made with a combination of flours and has a thick crust. It is often baked in a variety of shapes and sizes, giving it a rustic appearance. Country loaves tend to have a chewy texture and a nutty flavour, which can add interest to your tuna melt.

English Muffin

For a different take on the traditional tuna melt, you can use an English muffin as your bread base. English muffins are small, round, and flat yeast-leavened breads that are commonly split and toasted. They have a crispy exterior and a soft interior, providing a textural contrast in your sandwich. English muffins also have nooks and crannies that can soak up the flavours of the tuna melt filling.

When choosing bread for your tuna melt, consider the texture and flavour that will best complement the filling. You want something sturdy enough to hold the filling without falling apart or getting soggy. Experiment with different types of bread to find your preferred option!

Tuna melt toppings

Tuna melts are a classic sandwich with endless variations. While the basic ingredients are canned tuna, cheese, and bread, there are many ways to make the sandwich your own.

Bread

The bread you use for your tuna melt is important. You want something that can stand up to the weight of the tuna and cheese filling without getting soggy. Sourdough, French, Italian, country loaf, rye, brioche, challah, and even English muffins or bagels are all good options. If you're making an open-faced tuna melt, you'll want a thicker slice of bread to balance out the ratio of bread to the tuna mixture.

Cheese

The type of cheese you use is a matter of personal preference. Classic options include cheddar, Swiss, provolone, Monterey Jack, and American. But feel free to get creative with your cheese choices—pepper jack, Gruyère, mozzarella, Colby Jack, or even jalapeño jack would all make delicious tuna melts. Just make sure your cheese melts well and that you use enough of it to get that essential cheese pull. Most recipes call for two slices of cheese per sandwich.

Tuna

Use a good-quality canned tuna for your melt—something like solid white albacore tuna packed in water or olive oil. Be sure to drain the tuna well and flake it with a fork before mixing it with the other ingredients. Some recipes also call for mashing the tuna into tiny shreds to give the filling a lighter, fluffier texture.

Other Toppings

While the cheese and tuna are the stars of the show, you can add other toppings to your melt to give it a boost of flavour and texture. Here are some ideas:

• Tomato slices
• Butter or mayonnaise (or both!) on the outside of the bread for toasting
• Celery (for crunch)
• Red onion or shallots
• Pickles (especially dill pickles)
• Dijon mustard
• Lemon juice
• Spices like garlic powder, onion powder, or coriander seed
• Fresh herbs like parsley, dill, or tarragon
• Hard-boiled eggs
• Avocado
• Potato chips

Tuna melt cooking methods

Tuna melts are a classic American diner food, and there are several ways to cook them. The tuna melt is a sandwich, so the first step is to prepare the tuna mixture. This involves mixing canned tuna with mayonnaise, red onion, lemon juice, dill, mustard, salt, and pepper. You can also add celery, cornichons, or pickles for extra crunch.

Once the tuna mixture is ready, it's time to assemble the sandwich. Spread the mixture on a slice of bread, then layer on some tomato, salt, and pepper, and cheese. The best cheeses for a tuna melt are provolone, sharp cheddar, or extra-sharp cheddar, but you can also use Swiss, Havarti, or Monterey Jack.

Finally, it's time to cook the tuna melt. You can cook it in a skillet on medium-low heat, or place it under the broiler until the cheese melts. If you're cooking it in a skillet, butter both sides of the sandwich and place it in the skillet, cooking each side for 3-4 minutes until the bread is golden brown and the cheese is melted.

Some people prefer to make an open-faced tuna melt, which involves skipping the top piece of bread and placing the sandwich under the broiler until the cheese melts. You can also add extra toppings like lettuce, butter, or more pickles.

Frequently asked questions