• Home
  • Recipes
    • Search All Recipes
    • Recipe Round-Ups
    • Weekly Meal Plans
  • More
    • About
    • Work With Me!
    • Lifestyle
    • Outside the Kitchen
    • Kitchen Tips & Gifts
    • Contact
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter

Framed Cooks

My life. One recipe at a time.

Want every new recipe delivered right to your email inbox?

Sign Me Up!
Recipes » lunch » sandwiches » Tuna Melts

Tuna Melts

By Kate Morgan Jackson

Jump to Recipe

This easy cheesy recipe for tuna melts tops this classic lunchtime sandwich with both tomato slices and provolone cheese for the ultimate in flavor!

how to make a tuna melt

I have a weird relationship with tuna melts.  I pretty much forget they exist in the world until one day when I see them on a menu somewhere, and then I remember that I pretty much love and adore tuna melts.  

Delicious tuna salad on soft bread, covered with cheese and then run under a broiler until the cheese is melted…why do I keep forgetting about them?  It’s a mystery.

They are also one of those meals that are perfect when you are stuck on what to make for lunch or supper, because not only do they taste great, you probably have all the fixings right there in your kitchen.  

Tuna, mayo, bread and cheese are the basics that will get your your trusty old classic tuna melt.  

But one of the great things about tuna melts is that you can go to town on the improvisation, depending on what you like (or don’t like!)  Sure, regular American cheese will do you just fine, but any kind of sliceable, meltable cheese is fair game.  

Cheddar, fontina, Swiss…I like to use provolone, which is heaven in my book.  As for the tuna itself, be as crazy as you want to be with the mix-ins.  

Herbs, spices, onions, capers, chopped pickles, celery, you name it…you’ll find a few of those below as well.  

This recipe also tosses on a couple of sliced tomatoes.  I’m not sure why I didn’t go ahead and add some bacon under that cheese as well, but you KNOW that would be good.

So please learn from my mistakes…give the tuna melt the love and respect it deserves.  It will love you right back!

 

Print
how to make tuna melts

Tuna Melts


  • Author: Kate Morgan Jackson
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 5 minutes
  • Total Time: 15 minutes
  • Yield: 4 servings 1x
  • Category: Lunch
  • Method: Oven
  • Cuisine: American
Print Recipe
Pin Recipe

Description

This easy cheesy recipe for tuna melts tops this classic lunchtime sandwich with both tomato slices and provolone cheese for the ultimate in flavor!


Ingredients

  • 4  6 ounce cans solid white tuna packed in water, drained
  • 1/4 cup  mayonnaise, plus more for spreading
  • 1 tablespoon capers, drained
  • 1 tablespoon  freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • 4 slices sturdy white bread
  • 2 medium tomatoes, sliced
  • 4 ounces provolone cheese, thinly sliced

Instructions

  1. Put the tuna, mayonnaise, capers, black pepper and lemon juice in a mixing bowl and stir it all up.
  2. Spread each bread slice with a little more mayo and divide the tuna salad on top of the 4 slices. Top with 2 tomato slices each. Top with slices of provolone.
  3. Place sandwiches on a baking sheet lined with foil and turn your oven to broil.  Put the baking sheet in the oven and cook until cheese is golden and bubbly, about 5 minutes.
5746.5 g1604.4 mg27.1 g8.7 g0.1 g31.8 g2.5 g49 g99.5 mg

We love seeing what you do
with our Framed Cooks recipes.

Just tag @FramedCooks on Instagram, Pinterest or Facebook
so we can admire the deliciousness!

1493 shares
  • Facebook106
  • Twitter
  • Yummly
Kate Morgan Jackson

Hi there!  I’m Kate, and I’m a recipe writer, food photographer and devoted bacon lover.  I started Framed Cooks in 2009, and my mission is to create and share family-friendly recipes that make cooking both easy and fun…yes, I said FUN!  My kitchen is my happy place, and I want yours to be that place too.  And if you make this recipe, I would love you to tag @FramedCooks on Instagram so I can see the deliciousness!

Know someone who would love this recipe?
Click here to email them the link!

Originally Published January 17, 2012 and Updated
to this Even More Delicious Version on August 19, 2019

Good for: Comfort Foods

Last Post:
Chicken and Cheese Flautas
Next Post:
Chicken Tortellini Soup

I'D LOVE IT IF YOU WOULD RATE THIS RECIPE
(AND COMMENTS ARE WONDERFUL TOO!) Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe rating ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆

Comments

Want a photo beside your name? Go to Gravatar.com, sign up for a free account, and upload a photo. It's super easy!

  1. vanillasugarblog says

    January 18, 2012 at 1:04 am

    oh that melted provolone is heavenly right?
    need one of these tomorrow.

    Reply
  2. Joanne says

    January 18, 2012 at 2:21 am

    I haven't had a tuna melt…EVER. What was wrong with my parents? How could they have never made me eat one? Not sure. but now I NEED to have one.

    Reply
  3. Honeysuckle says

    January 18, 2012 at 4:47 am

    I feel the same way about tuna! I ended up having the subway tuna twice the other week cause it was so satisfying the first time and I went there out of desperation too! What a pleasant surprise.

    Reply
  4. PoetessWug says

    January 18, 2012 at 9:10 am

    Oh Yeah!!…Tuna Melts!! Funny how quick you can forget them, and how wonderful a memory they leave. ^_^ And cheddar and bacon on them…a must in my house!

    Reply
  5. Jim Price says

    January 18, 2012 at 12:14 pm

    Could I use tuna packed in olive oil and omit the mayo?

    Reply
  6. Miss McBooty says

    January 18, 2012 at 2:58 pm

    One of my favorite sandwiches of all time! This is up there with fresh corned beef. Looks delish!

    Reply
  7. Marcia says

    January 18, 2012 at 5:26 pm

    With fresh tomatoes from the garden-the best!

    Reply
  8. Sara Winter says

    January 18, 2012 at 10:15 pm

    I LOVE tuna melts. We use an english muffin base for them in our house and then whatever else we have on hand gets mixed right in!

    Reply
  9. FramedCooks says

    January 19, 2012 at 12:27 am

    Jim – you definitely can. One of the great things about tuna melts is that they are so flexible! :)

    Reply
  10. Heather E says

    January 21, 2012 at 4:45 pm

    i totally love tuna melts & this is perfect with lent coming up. i have missed your blog- i had to go away for awhile (i couldn't cook or eat these delish things!) but i'm back :)

    Reply
  11. FramedCooks says

    January 21, 2012 at 7:14 pm

    Welcome back, Heather – hope everything is okay! :)

    Reply
  12. amy says

    February 29, 2012 at 8:37 pm

    yum!! I totally forget about tuna melts too. Thanks for the reminder and the inspiration!!

    Reply
  13. Paul Hardersen says

    May 3, 2015 at 6:37 pm

    Greetings! I just made this recipe and think that it is absolutely fantastic! It is definitely a peppery tuna melt as the amount of pepper in the recipe is rather substantial, but it mixes perfectly with the rest of the ingredients in the recipe. The addition of the tomato, topped with the provolone cheese, is wonderfully complementary. I even added an extra, hotter, spice mixture to the recipe and recommend that for people who like spicier food. This recipe is a keeper and is definitely for anyone who enjoys tuna melts.

    Reply
    • Kate says

      May 3, 2015 at 7:28 pm

      Thanks Paul – so glad you liked it! Tuna melts are wonderful weekend treats. :)

      Reply

Hi, I’m Kate! I’m a recipe writer, food photographer and devoted bacon lover. I’m so glad you’re here!

If you want to know more….

These recipes are trending up! Come see what the excitement is about!

  • Pastina with Egg and Cheese, Otherwise Known As Comfort Food
  • Pasta with Buttered Egg Sauce
  • Julia Child's Filet Of Sole
  • Ten Super Bowl Recipes That Win The Day!
  • Grandpa's Coca-Cola Ribs

Want every new recipe delivered right to your email inbox?

  • Home
  • Starters
  • Breakfast
  • Lunch
  • Dinner
  • Dessert
  • Contact
Terms of Use • Privacy Policy

Copyright © 2023 Framed Cooks
All photographs © FramedCooks and may not be used for any purpose without written permission. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

1.5K shares
1493 shares
  • 106