As almost everyone on the Food & Wine staff knows, I have been obsessed with tuna melts this summer. I grew up in Texas, where tuna melts aren’t common, so while I was familiar with the concept I’d never tasted one until a few months ago. Our food team was photographing a tuna melt recipe in March, and I was lucky enough to be lingering on set when they were done with the sandwich. Once I mentioned I’d never had one before, my coworkers insisted I try it, and it was love at first bite. Since then, I’ve been on a personal journey to embrace more tuna, and I’ve made myself a tuna melt almost every week. I even received a shipment of about 50 servings of Bumble Bee tuna at our office, so that I could share my newfound passion with colleagues. While I’ve developed a deep appreciation for the classic version of a tuna melt, I’ve also discovered a few tricks that are great for taking this sandwich to the next level or switching up the flavor profile. Here’s what I’ve learned.
Add crunchy, tangy, pickle-y things to your tuna salad
The star of any tuna melt is obviously the tuna salad, and a good one needs something crunchy. Onions and celery are popular additions that add texture but are not the only options. Choosing something that adds crunch but also brings a hit of tangy, pickle-y flavor is my favorite way to punch up a tuna melt. Diced dill pickles are more crisp — and in my opinion more flavorful — than the common addition of relish to tuna salad. Giardiniera is fun because you get a few different vegetables in the mix in addition to that signature sharp and fiery taste. Or, if you want to make things a little spicy, I highly recommend adding some chopped kimchi or banana peppers.
Switch up your spices
One of the simplest but most profound lessons a chef has ever taught me is that you don’t always have to use black pepper alongside salt; you can use other spices instead. I love trying out different spices in my tuna melts to switch up the sandwich’s flavor — the richness of the creamy dressing and strong flavor of tuna can stand up to a lot of seasoning. I’ve found myself turning to spice blends, stirring some garam masala or Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasoning into my tuna salad, and I’m sure Old Bay would also be great. If you don’t have one of these on hand, pick a savory spice you enjoy and try adding it to the tuna mixture; anything from garlic powder to coriander, cumin, or sumac will amp up your tuna melt. I wouldn’t be surprised if you also find a new go-to spice that you sprinkle with salt on your eggs every morning.
American cheese is your friend
American cheese gets a bad rap. But sometimes, this processed delicacy can do the job better than any artisanal item from the cheese aisle. It has a lower melting point, so you’ll find that it melts more quickly and easily on top of your sandwich, which is part of why many people prefer to use it on cheeseburgers. The emulsifying agents in American cheese also ensure that it doesn’t break as it heats up, keeping the melted product super creamy and gooey. This is what I think makes American cheese great for a tuna melt — it creates a very evenly melted and creamy layer on top of the sandwich, so it feels like comfort food. Kraft Singles work perfectly fine for this, but if you want to turn things up a notch, I recommend trying a higher-quality American cheese like Cooper’s.
Think beyond sliced bread
A tuna melt is classically served on sliced bread, but the first one I ever tried was on an English muffin. This might have ruined me for all other tuna melts, because the yeasty, subtly sour flavor of the English muffin was the perfect backdrop to creamy tuna salad and cheese. Granted, I could be biased because of my deep love for English muffins, but the main takeaway here is that you can switch up the carb you use to make your tuna melt. I see no reason why you couldn’t make a tuna melt flatbread (in fact, this might channel the vibes of the viral tunacado sandwich), and if you want to put tuna salad and melted cheese on some French bread, and then call it a tuna melt French bread pizza, I fully support you.
I’m on a mission to get everyone else on board the tuna melt train, and if my story is any testament, it’s never too late to become a true tuna melt fan. And while the traditional version of this classic sandwich is already a perfect food, doesn’t the thought of an Old Bay tuna melt on sourdough or a kimchi and American cheese tuna melt also sound amazing? The next time you’re craving comfort food or want a lazy dinner and happen to have a can of tuna on hand (you should always have tuna on hand), I’d recommend taking yourself on a journey to a more creative tuna melt.
