The night the fridge is empty and it is 8:20.
Two drained cans of tuna, a third of a cup of mayo, a tablespoon of lemon juice, and one finely diced celery stalk. Mixed at four in the afternoon it sits in the fridge and only gets better.
Cheese, tuna, cheese, close the sandwich, butter facing out, three minutes a side on medium until it is golden. Two slices of cheese is not a typo; it is the glue holding the tuna inside.
Ingredients
The recipe serves 4. Plan on 8 minutes to finish (plus earlier prep).
- 2 cans (5 oz each) tuna, drained
- 1/3 cup mayonnaise
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 stalk celery, finely diced
- 8 slices bread
- 8 slices cheddar or American cheese
- 2 tbsp softened butter
How to Make It
- Mix the tuna, mayo, lemon juice, and celery in a bowl.
- Butter one side of each bread slice.
- On the unbuttered side, layer cheese, a scoop of tuna salad, and another slice of cheese, then close the sandwich butter-side out.
- Toast in a skillet over medium 3 minutes per side until golden and the cheese melts.
- Cut in half and serve hot.
Do the Slow Part Early
Mix the tuna salad before practice so the only night-of step is toasting.
- Stir the tuna salad together in the morning and chill it
- Dice the celery ahead so it is ready to mix
- Slice the cheese and set out the bread before you leave
Store and Reheat
Tuna melts are best fresh, but extras crisp back up in a hot pan.
- Reheat in a dry skillet 2 minutes per side
- Or air fry at 350F for 3 minutes to re-crisp
- Tuna salad alone keeps 2 days in the fridge
- Serve with: apple slices, dill pickles, tomato soup for dipping
Make it fit tonight
Small changes that make this one fit your night
Celery is the texture
Without it the filling goes pasty between two slices of melted cheddar.
Butter the bread, not the pan
You get an even gold crust and roughly half the mess to wipe afterward.
Tomato soup for dipping
A carton warmed in a mug turns four sandwiches into an actual dinner.
350F to re-crisp
An air fryer brings a leftover half back better than a skillet manages.
Two days for the salad
Mixed tuna keeps two days, so stir it Monday and finish it Tuesday.
Plan the next step
Keep no-fuss dinners ready
Use the planner to line up quick toasted sandwiches like this for the nights you want easy and fast.