Almond and Toasted Onion Tuna Melt

Almond and Toasted Onion Tuna Melt is not your ordinary tuna melt. This combination may seem a strange one, but you have to trust me on this. It makes an incredible tuna melt. This is the way I have been making tuna melts for years. It is a branch out from a tuna pasta salad I used to make (and should make again soon!) that I absolutely love. One day I decided to use the same idea of toasted almonds and onions in a tuna sandwich with chunks of cheese. This version of a tuna melt is very savory and is a complete departure from the traditional.

Long ago, a friend in the Bay Area taught me her tuna salad sandwich with walnuts, cheddar cheese, and chunks of dill pickles, and I was surprised how much I liked it. I was used to tuna sandwiches with sweet pickles. From there, I experimented with lots of different combinations and finally came up with the tuna pasta salad recipe with almonds, onions, and swiss cheese. The almond version was delicious. I decided to go one step further and make a tuna melt. The chunks of cheese melt into a delicious gooey sandwich that is addictive, and you may never go back to the regular tuna melt again! The crunch of the toasted almonds adds such a dimension to this tuna melt. The savory toasted onions and flavorful Compté, my favorite cheese, bring pizzaz to this party. Unlike an everyday tuna melt with a slice of cheese, I find the chunks give the whole sandwich melty, cheesy goodness.

Tuna melts are a staple in American diners, and they are one of my favorite comfort foods to order. From my travels across the country, I have discovered many variations. The northeast coast, for instance, seems to always serve a tuna melt open-faced, while the west coast, especially in those great old diners that have been around for ages, grills the sandwich on both sides. I have had them using whole wheat, sourdough, rye, brioche, and even open-faced on English muffins. But I think the whole wheat bread or sourdough is the best choice for a tuna melt, and I am definitely all about a grilled tuna melt enclosed with two slices of bread. The other version of an open-faced sandwich just doesn’t cut it for me as a tuna melt. Maybe it is that crisp golden outer part of a grilled sandwich that appeals to me.

Whole wheat bread is fantastic for a tuna melt. But so is my Soft Sourdough Sandwich Bread that will toast up nicely. A secret I have learned over the years for any grilled sandwich is to use mayonnaise instead of coating the outside with butter. There is egg and a bit of flavoring that actually makes the bread crisp up better than using just plain butter. You will be surprised at how crisp and evenly golden a sandwich is after grilling using mayo. Once I discovered that trick, I almost always use mayo for every grilled sandwich, especially a grilled cheese and an Almond and Toasted Onion Tuna Melt!

Well, that is all for this week. I hope all of you are staying safe and thinking of others in your choices. We all need to work together for us to get through these challenging times. Until next time!

Print

Almond and Toasted Onion Tuna Melt

Almond and Toasted Onion Tuna Melt. Combining crunchy almonds, savory onions, and melty Compté cheese transforms an American classic to new heights.

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon butter or bacon fat yes, I said Bacon fat!!!
• ½ cup finely chopped onion
• 1/3 cup raw slivered almonds
• 1 5 oz can tuna white or light
• 1/2 cup Compté Gruyere, or swiss cheese, cubed into ¼ inch pieces
• 2-3 tablespoons mayonnaise
• A few grinds of pepper
• 1 pinch of salt
• 4 slices of good wholewheat or sourdough bread.

Extra mayonnaise for grilling

Instructions

1. In a small skillet, melt the butter or bacon fat over medium heat, add the onion, and sauté until the onion pieces just begin to turn brown on the edges.
2. Add the slivered almonds to the onions and continue to cook until the almonds begin to toast up golden brown. Remove from heat and let cool briefly.
3. Drain the tuna and flake in a medium bowl.
4. Mix in enough mayonnaise to make a moist mixture.
5. Stir in the almond and onion mixture and season with some salt and pepper.
6. Heat a frypan or griddle to medium heat.
7. Spread half of the tuna mixture over 2 of the slices of bread and top with the remaining bread slices.
8. Spread some more mayonnaise over the top of the sandwiches, trying to cover the top as much as possible.
9. Grill the sandwiches flipping the mayonnaise side down.
10. Once the sandwiches have been placed on the grill, carefully spread more mayonnaise on the top slice of each sandwich.
11. Grill until the bread is golden brown on the bottom, and then flip them to brown the other side. Don’t rush by turning the heat up. You want to heat and melt the cheese in the tuna mixture on the inside and get a great crisp crust on the outside.

Recipe Notes

Bacon fat adds a smokiness, if you save the bacon drippings, Like I was taught from a beloved farmer's wife in my childhood, this is a great place to use them.