Open-Faced Tuna Melts | Dairy Free & Gluten Free

This post is sponsored by Blue Harbor Fish Co.®.

As a kid, I ordered tuna melts everywhere we went. They were my go-to for a very long time, and I would judge a restaurant based on the quality of their tuna melt. At around 9 years old, I remember telling a small restaurant that it was the finest tuna melt that I ever had! I’d like to personally thank the person who invented the tuna melt (bless their heart) — from one tuna lover to another, you’re a genius.

Let’s dissect a tuna melt together. First you need some good bread. You could use any bread, really: gluten free, sourdough or there’s even paleo options, too. Use what you have and make it work. I used a gluten free, vegan sourdough.

Next, a very important part of the tuna melt is cheese. You can use any cheese, but cheddar is pretty standard in the composition of a tuna melt. When I ate dairy cheese I typically went for a good quality cheddar cheese, but I am dairy free now, so I like to use a dairy free mozzarella. The texture is great! The kind of cheese you love will be the best cheese for your tuna melt!

Now, for the good stuff! I love Blue Harbor Fish Co.® because their tuna is just Albacore Tuna in Water with a little Sea Salt. It’s so clean with the best ingredients and no unnecessary additives or fillers. They also have Albacore Tuna in Water with No Salt Added, which is just Albacore Tuna and water. Obviously, either will work for this recipe or any of my other tuna recipes. Blue Harbor Fish Co.® likes to keep it super simple! When you open a can or a pouch of Blue Harbor Fish Co.®, you can see all of the big pieces of meat! You see the high quality!

I will eat this Blue Harbor Fish Co.® tuna straight out of the pouch with a fork on-the-go or whip up some of my favorite recipes like this Tuna Melt or my Tuna Ceviche, Deconstructed Tuna Sandwiches & Spring Greek Tuna Salad. I personally like to add lots of veggies to my tuna for taste and texture. The extra veggies mixed with tuna make my mouth and taste buds really happy. 

I love tuna because it’s high in protein, low in carbs and it’s so versatile. Whether you’re eating it right out of the pouch or making a recipe it’s an easy, shelf stable staple in our home.

UnforTUNAtely I have run out of soFISHticated fish puns, and I really wanted to say something CATCHY here.  Instead, let’s DIVE right into this yummy recipe.

Note: This will make 4 open-faced tuna sandwiches. (4 slices of bread)

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INGREDIENTS

(1) 4.6-oz can of Blue Harbor Fish Co.® Albacore Tuna, drained

2 TB mayonnaise

4 slices of bread

1/2 stalk of celery, diced

8 cherry tomatoes, diced

2 TB red onions, diced

1/4 cup cucumber, diced

Pinch of sea salt

Pinch of black pepper

4oz (or 4 slices) of dairy free cheese of choice (1 per bread slice)

Slices of avocado

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a mixing bowl, combine tuna and mayonnaise and mix well. Add in diced veggies and mix well.

Place your bread (you can toast first if you’d like, but totally optional) on a baking sheet lined with parchment.

Spoon tuna salad onto each slice of bread. Place dairy free cheese on top of tuna. 

Bake for about 20 minutes until cheese on top is soft and melted. 

Top with avocado (optional) and serve hot!