How To Make This Easy Pimento Tuna Melt Recipe

Don’t get us wrong—we love a classic sandwich. Slapping together some ingredients between two slices of bread and calling it a meal is completely comforting and takes us all the way back to good ol’ school lunch days. But when we want to feel like we’ve truly upgraded the basics, we always reach for a melt.

Around here, our favorite melt option is tuna (which is probably not too surprising!), but the recipe we are about to share contains an updated twist. It all started at a Masters party, which traditionally includes pimento cheese sandwiches. But being the seafood-obsessed team that we are, we kept thinking: how can we turn this Masters classic into a seafood-based one? That’s when inspiration struck! Why not add the beloved comfort of pimento cheese to our family-favorite melty tuna masterpiece? The result is our Cheesy Pimento Tuna Melt—a sandwich that we simply can’t stop making. 

We take store-bought pimento cheese (convenience is key), canned or pouched tuna and bread that’s about to get gloriously golden and crispy. The pimento cheese provides a tangy richness when added atop our lightened-up tuna salad that boasts substantial protein and those all-important omega-3s. When it all melts together, you get this incredible combination of creamy, savory and crisp flavors that a typical tuna melt can’t hold a candle to. 

This recipe has become a no-brainer for quick weeknight dinners or weekend comfort food. At just 15 minutes from start to finish, it’s perfect for those moments when everyone’s hangry and you need something satisfying before the sparks start to fly! And when you didn’t think it could get any better, it somehow does—this melt is simple enough for older kids to make independently. Stock your pantry with the basics, show them the technique once and you’ve got a reliable after-school solution that doesn’t require your constant supervision.

Nostalgic and nutritious—and utterly delicious—it’s high time you got your melt on!

Print

• 8 slices whole grain bread
• 2 (5 oz.) cans or pouches of tuna in water
• 2 stalks celery, finely chopped
• 2 Tbsp. red onion, finely chopped
• 3 Tbsp. olive oil mayonnaise
• 1 Tbsp. whole grain mustard
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 Tbsp. lemon juice
• ½ cup prepared pimento cheese spread

1. Preheat broiler. Place bread on baking sheet and lightly toast both sides of all slices.
2. In medium bowl, prepare tuna salad by combining tuna and the next 6 ingredients (through lemon juice).
3. Take two slices of toasted bread. Spread tuna salad mixture onto one slice; spread pimento cheese onto other slice.
4. Broil each slice face-up for 3-5 minutes, until the cheese is melted and browned slightly.
5. Sandwich together the two slices of bread. Cut and serve.
6. Repeat process to make three more tuna melt sandwiches.

• Author: Dish on Fish
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 5 minutes
• Category: Tuna

Download the Dish on Fish E-Cookbook today!

NFI’s Registered Dietitians dish the latest on all things seafood with over 100 easy and delicious recipes.