A lot of people have a very negative opinion about the tuna melt, this mainly stems from having really poorly made ones with too much mayo, little spice, hot dog buns for bread and plastic cheese. Some people on the other hand believe that cheese and fish do not go together - i would first of all like to challenge these people to a thumb war, then victorious i would make them my version of the tuna melt and accept their humble apologies.
When tuna melts are made well they are a great light lunch to make for a cottage crowd. People can simply help themselves to however many they want and even snack on them when they are cold. I like to use a good bread - this is essential to the tuna melt - i think that english muffins are great, and not too bready, but i also like Ace rosemary focatia triangles or their baguettes. Toast them a bit before you put the tuna and cheese on and back in the oven, this keeps them from getting soggy. (but not too much to make them break)
I tend to varry the main veggies/condiments, but i think that adding a lot of them takes away from the overwealming tuna and mayo content that some people don't enjoy. I always start with a base of low sodium high quality water packed tuna. My usual additions are:
Green onion or red onion
Granny smith apples (trust me on this one - diced, so crisp)
Diced carrots
Olives or sundried tomatoes (both make it too salty)
Pepper, hot sauce
The dressing varries on the moisture of the ingredients, but it is usally a mixture of mayo, dijon mustard and a little olive oil if necessary. Also i add a little of the cheese into the mix, which i think is a great addition.
Top the toasted bread with the tuna topping, add a slice of swiss and toast until golden and melted. The swiss doesn't tend to make a mess, and also keeps the tuna in place.
Above:
Tuna mixture
Ready for the oven
Tuna melts
A nice light meal (salad with humus and carrots)
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