Sandwiches · American
Tuna Melt
Tangy dill-pickle tuna salad and sharp cheddar, griddled on rye until melty and golden.
- Hands-on
- 30 min
- Total
- 30 min
- Makes
- 4 sandwiches
- Serves
- 4
About 10 minutes to mix the tuna salad and build the sandwiches, then two skillet batches of about 10 minutes each (5 minutes per side). You stay at the stove the whole time, so we count it all as hands-on.
- easy
- pantry
- diner-classic
- weeknight
Verified against at least two trusted test kitchens or food-safety guides · Last checked · What this means
Scaling? The skillet holds 2 sandwiches at a time with 1 tbsp butter per batch, so more sandwiches means more batches, not a longer cook. This tuna salad makes more than 4 sandwiches need; extra keeps in the fridge (see storage). Some items (like eggs) don’t halve neatly: beat them, then measure out half.
Ingredients
You need: can opener and colander or sieve · medium bowl and fork · large nonstick skillet with a lid (2 sandwiches must fit side by side) · wide spatula · 1/3-cup (80 ml) measure
Contains: fish · egg · milk · wheat
Method
Drain the tuna
Open the cans and drain the 425 g (15 oz) tuna well in a colander or sieve.
Mix the tuna salad
In a medium bowl, mix the tuna with the 113 g (1/2 cup) mayonnaise, 60 ml (1/4 cup) red onion, 60 ml (1/4 cup) pickles, 1 tbsp pickle brine, 1 tsp dried dill, 1 tsp Dijon, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp onion powder and 120 ml (1/2 cup) celery until evenly combined. Season with salt and pepper.
Otto tried this firstOtto skips draining the tuna. The salad turns watery and the bread goes soggy in the pan. Drain it well first.Build the sandwiches
On each of 4 bread slices, lay 2 slices of cheddar, then spread about 80 ml (1/3 cup) of tuna salad over the cheese. Top with the remaining 4 bread slices.
Brown the first side
Melt 14 g (1 tbsp) butter in the large nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. Add 2 sandwiches and cook for about 5 minutes.
Ready when: The bottom slice is deep golden brown. Lift a corner with the spatula to check.
Flip, cover and melt
Turn the sandwiches over, put the lid on and cook about 5 minutes more.
Ready when: The second side is golden and the cheddar has melted all the way through.
Otto tried this firstOtto turns the heat to high to speed things up. The rye scorches while the cheese is still cold. Medium-low and a lid melt the cheese before the bread burns.Second batch
Melt the remaining 14 g (1 tbsp) butter in the skillet and cook the other 2 sandwiches the same way. Cut in half and serve hot.
Ready when: Same as the first batch: golden on both sides, cheese fully melted.
Swaps
- Instead of sharp cheddar: American, pepper jack or mozzarella slices
- Instead of solid white (albacore) tuna: chunk light tuna, drained, same weight
- Instead of butter in the pan: a thin layer of mayonnaise spread on the outside of the bread It browns the bread just as well.
Make ahead, store & reheat
- Storage
- Eat the sandwiches hot. Refrigerate leftover tuna salad within 2 hours, covered, and use it within 3 to 5 days.
If something goes wrong
- Bread burnt, cheese not melted Why: The heat was too high and the pan was uncovered.
Cook on medium-low and cover the pan after flipping so the trapped heat melts the cheese. - Soggy sandwich Why: The tuna wasn't drained well.
Drain the tuna thoroughly before mixing it with the mayonnaise.
Good to know
- Lay the cheese right on the bread, under the tuna salad, so it sits close to the heat.
- Use the same pan for both batches; just add fresh butter.
- Lift a corner with the spatula before flipping: deep golden is the goal, not dark brown.
Safety
- Opened cans have sharp edges. An adult should open and drain them; kids can do the mixing.
- Tuna salad is made with mayonnaise and is perishable: keep it cold and don't leave it out for more than 2 hours.
- The skillet and the lid get very hot. Use an oven mitt, and let an adult do the flipping.
- Check labels: rye bread usually contains wheat, and breads can contain sesame or soy.