American
Cheddar Tuna Melt with Celery and Pickles
A crisp skillet tuna melt with well-drained oil-packed tuna, celery, dill pickle, and Dijon beneath sharp cheddar, balanced to stay creamy without soaking the bread.
4 servings · 15 minutes prep · 18 minutes cook
Ingredients
Tuna Salad
- 2 cans oil-packed tuna, 5 ounces each, drained very well
- 1/3 cup finely diced celery
- 1/4 cup finely diced dill pickles, blotted dry
- 2 tablespoons finely diced red onion
- 1/3 cup mayonnaise
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Sandwiches
- 8 slices firm white sandwich bread
- 8 thin slices sharp cheddar
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
Directions
Mix the Tuna Salad
- Break the drained tuna into large flakes in a mixing bowl. Add the celery, pickles, red onion, mayonnaise, Dijon, lemon juice, and pepper.
- Fold just until combined, keeping visible tuna flakes. Taste before adding any salt—the tuna, pickles, mayonnaise, and cheddar may already provide enough. Chill for 5 minutes while preparing the bread; the mixture should mound on a spoon without releasing liquid.
Build the Melts
- Spread the butter thinly over one side of every bread slice. Turn buttered sides down. Place one slice of cheddar on four slices, divide the tuna salad evenly over it, and top each with another cheddar slice and the remaining bread.
Griddle and Rest
- Place two sandwiches in a cool large skillet and set it over medium-low heat. Cover and cook for 4 minutes, until the undersides are golden and the lower cheese is molten; reduce the heat if the bread colors before the center is hot.
- Flip, uncover, and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until the second side is crisp and the top cheese melts. Repeat with the second batch, letting the skillet cool briefly first if it has become noticeably hotter. Rest for 2 minutes, then cut and serve.
Allergen and Product Check
- Allergen note: contains fish (tuna), egg from mayonnaise, milk from cheddar and butter, and wheat from bread unless verified alternatives are used. Check packaged labels and cross-contact controls.
