If you order a tuna melt in a New Jersey diner, you'll get something very similar to this! My method of topping the tuna salad with cheese FIRST, then tomato and more cheese, keeps the toppings from sliding off the bread.
My husband said this is the best tuna melt he has EVER had. And I don't know anyone who likes tuna melts as much as him, so I was impressed! The best advice in the recipe was to broil the bread both sides and then take out and top with tuna, cheese, tomatoes, etc. In the past we've always had problems with the bottom of the bread being too soft. So thank you for that hint! Also, I love the idea of layering cheese, tomatoes, cheese. It tasted so good (even though the tomato made it a bit juicy to eat - it was worth it) Now, the only addition I have to your recipe is to put a little bit of fresh chopped garlic in--it enhances the flavor to perfection!
Read MoreI made these last night. They were good but having read the reviews I was expecting much more. I followed the recipe but didn't have celery, just omitted it since we don't care for it any way. Tasted like a good tuna sandwich but nothing more. I won't go to the trouble of using the broiler again for a tuna sandwich. I normally put mine on toast with a slice of tomato, which I would say is equal in taste to this recipe.
Read MoreMy husband said this is the best tuna melt he has EVER had. And I don't know anyone who likes tuna melts as much as him, so I was impressed! The best advice in the recipe was to broil the bread both sides and then take out and top with tuna, cheese, tomatoes, etc. In the past we've always had problems with the bottom of the bread being too soft. So thank you for that hint! Also, I love the idea of layering cheese, tomatoes, cheese. It tasted so good (even though the tomato made it a bit juicy to eat - it was worth it) Now, the only addition I have to your recipe is to put a little bit of fresh chopped garlic in--it enhances the flavor to perfection!
YUMMO!! I've lived in Jersey all my life and being that our state has more diners than any other in the nation, I've eaten in many, anywhere from Bergen County down to Cape May County. I order these great open faced sandwiches all the time. The thought of adding vinegar to the tuna never occured to me and I must say that it was a great addition. I skipped the salt (tuna alone has tons) added red onion and much more mayo. I'm not crazy about melted swiss, so I used my favorite Vermont cheddar. I'm a tuna nutcase, so this was the PERFECT lunch for me today! So good Linda and thanks!!
I'm a New Englander, so I've never had a Jersey-style tuna melt before. This was amazing! I will definitely add raw onion and wine vinegar to my tuna from now on. I recommend to everyone out there to keep the vinegar. I had to use sharp cheddar instead of Swiss, but it was still fantastic. Thanks for a great recipe!
One of the best tuna melts my husband and I have ever had - we love it! I use whole grain bread instead of rye bread and american cheese instead of swiss. Tastes delicious! I've made this recipe 3 times in the past 2 weeks already! Great with chips and fresh carrots and celery.
Good use of red wine vinegar to avoid dry tuna as opposed to adding more mayo, which can taste terrible. I liked this. Didn't use rye though...used Italian rolls (toasted insides on a griddle) and baked in a low-temp pre-heated oven for a few minutes to melt cheese. Very good.
This is the Best Tuna Melt! The red wine vinegar definitely makes the tuna salad. I didn't have rye bread or swiss cheese so I used a whole grain bread and cheddar cheese combo. Simply delicious!
This tuna melt was AMAZING!!! The tuna salad had perfect flavor. I was nervous about onion in tuna but it was delicious. We used both Swiss and cheddar cheese and it tasted just like the sandwiches served right here at diners in the Garden State (I am from NJ)! Serve it up with chips and a dill pickle for a super-tasty meal. The tuna salad is delicious enough to be eaten by itself!
Man were these fantastic! I loved the upscale taste of this twist on an old classic. I didn't have red wine vinegar so just used balsamic and it was just fine. I also hate tomatoes so left them out without a problem. My only suggestion...make as much as you can!!
These were very good. I used different cheeses to each family member's taste. I also used Texas toast bread, since I didn't have any Rye on hand.
My husband an I had this last night. It was really good. We added more onion and celery (our own preference).
As a tuna melt lover, had been looking for a good recipe - and this is it!! After tasting original recipe, I felt the mixture was a little dry so increased mayo to 3/8 cup. Also, the flavor "needed a little something" so added 1/4 t Old Bay seasoning. With these 2 tweaks, the sandwich was diner "blue plate" quality.
Extremely tasty. Make sure that you toast both sides of the bread before adding the tuna, tomato, and cheese. Also, feel free to use any other cheese/bread. It will be delicious! Vinegar is a nice addition that I wasn't used to.
This was my first time to make a tuna melt!!!!!! and decided to prepare it for friends for lunch. Everyone loved it and definitely the Red Wine vinegar makes a big difference. Also rye bread enhances the flavor. Even my husband like it and he really isn t keen on canned tuna.
So delicious! Believe it or not this was my first attempt at making a tuna melt [I'm a new cook :-)] and it was so easy! The key ingredient was the red wine vinegar, so yes, do not leave it out! I served this for my boyfriend with sweet potato fries, which we both agreed was a great accompaniment.
Adding the vinegar to the tuna salad is fabulous. I wasn't sure about it, but took away that slight off flavor of canned tuna. Simple, tasty, quick and inexpensive.
Struck with late night beer munchies, I surveyed the kitchen and thought a tuna melt sounded good- but mayhap, I thought, the interweb could show me something more exciting than the grilled cheese with tuna that I was contemplating. Which landed me here. I didn't have everything on hand to do the exact recipe- no tomato, winged it with Tillamook cheddar and a 12 grain bread- but it was really good and I look forward to doing it again with rye and swiss. There is an excellent depth of flavor with the vinegar and aromatics dancing around the hearty, earthy tuna/toast/cheese. More than the sum of its parts- really nice recipe, thanks for sharing.
I made these last night. They were good but having read the reviews I was expecting much more. I followed the recipe but didn't have celery, just omitted it since we don't care for it any way. Tasted like a good tuna sandwich but nothing more. I won't go to the trouble of using the broiler again for a tuna sandwich. I normally put mine on toast with a slice of tomato, which I would say is equal in taste to this recipe.
One of the best tuna salads I've ever had. I opted to forgo the tomatoes and it was still terrific. One note, when you are using tuna the pouch variety that is solid (not chunk, light) is the best quality and you will certainly taste the difference. The solid tuna is from the loin section and is far better than what you would get with the rest. The pouch is superior because it allows preservation at lower "canning" temperatures than traditional cans. This results in better flavor and texture. Alton Brown has a lot to say about the subject if you're ever curious.
This was amazingly delicious. I used Muenster cheese instead but OMG great, especially cause I used really red fresh tomatoes, etc. WOW. The only thing I disagree with in reviews in that NJ diners are the best. I say they are 2nd best...to New York diners. Growing up in Brooklyn, had tuna melts like this with french fries with brown gravy on the side...ohhhhhhh wowwwww. I am hungry, want another sandwich.
VERY GOOD..I OVER DID MY BREAD A LITTLE BIT BUT THEY WERE STILL TASTY..I USED FAT FREE MAYO TO MAKE THEM LOWER IN FAT.
Growing up, a tuna melt was a hamburger bun half topped with tuna mixed with a little mayo and a slice of american cheese which would be placed in the oven for a few minutes until the processed cheese melted. This recipe looks like royalty by comparison and I can't wait to try it. Will upgrade to five stars if it tastes anything like it looks.
This IS the tuna salad sandwich that I eat at a deli and crave at home. If anything, I have been enlightened to the benefit of red wine vinegar added to a tuna salad recipe. If you like sweet pickle relish in your tuna salad, it will still work here....I've done it! I do believe rye is the very best bread for a traditional tuna melt. But, I have experimented with other cheeses like cheddar and dill havarti with wonderful results. I also have to say that caramelized onions takes this sandwich to a crazy good level!
These were delicious! Will def go into our normal dinner rotation...quick & easy!
used whole wheat bread and my own cheese. definitely broil both sides of bread. yummy. added avacado this time and it was delicious!
Really good! I was looking for a good tuna melt recipe. Found it!! YUMMILICOUS! Didn't change a thing...better the second time around!
These are addictive and soo easy. I find myself making them all the time. I put my bread in the toaster while the broiler is heating up. I find that it's an easier method for crisp bread.
One MAJOR PROBLEM with this recipe.....it doesn't make enough!!!! It was fantastic!!!! Delicious! Can't wait to make it again! It was so easy, and the presentation is nice so I'll be making it for lunch when my parents come to visit next weekend.
Definetly Delish! Preheating the oven is really important, otherwise cheese melts tuna stays cold. Also next time i think i will be sure and toast both sides of the bread. I did put cheese on bread then tuna then tomato then cheese. Had it with Baked Potatoe Soup, super filing for "Soup & Sand" dinner.
Yummy tuna. I did not heat it and it was still really good. I do not know if I have ever had vinegar in my tuna, but it added nice flavor- not overwhelming.
Very very good!! I didn't have rye bread so I just used whole wheat! Great, quick sandwich on a chilly night! Loved the crunch of the celery.
The absolulte best tuna melt I have ever had - at home or anywhere else!! Followed recipe exactly, except broiled the bread on both sides before topping with the tuna mixture. Can't believe I've been making these on a griddle for all these years with ho hum results. Wow, such an amazing improvement. Thank you!!! *Update* Since my original review, this has become my regular tuna salad recipe - for melts and cold sandwiches. Markets now carry pre-toasted bread, so I make a batch of this salad and take it to work for fast tuna sandwiches a few times a month. I've shared with many thankful co-workers - most now have the recipe!
Delish! Instead of using rye bread, we used 12-grain we had on hand. We also didn't include tomato, as both my fiance and I don't like it. We used pepperjack instead of swiss too. Def the best tuna salad ever! It will become my staple recipe for sure!
Wonderful melts! Used multi-grain bread in place of rye. Absolutely delicious, even the picky spouse loved them. Very easy to make.
this is a quick and scrumptious treat. We made extra for our lunches the next day; it was great!
I liked the tuna base, but it was better cold than warm. I didn't have rye or gyuvere so I just used wheat bread with american singles the first time, then sharp (stinky) cheddar the second time. I found that the stinkier cheese made a much better sandwich; it covered the fishier taste. This was easy to make in the good ol sandwich maker.
I loved it! The only change I made was one of necessity...Provolone slices instead of Swiss. Otherwise, I followed the recipe exactly. The tuna itself was so good I'll never make tuna salad any other way. Thanks for sharing.
Loved the recipe! Very easy to make.. Love the use of vinegar- used rice vinegar... & low fat Swiss.. My son & boyfriend loved it.. My boyfriend was trying to guess the ingredients.. Will definitely make it again & again & again..
lovely recipe, I've had melt sandwiches before but never made one at home, this was a great one. I left off the tomato since I didn't have any and switched out the rye bread for a sandwich thin and swiss for provelone. nex time I'll definitely try adding some tomato since it sounds nice.
FANTASTIC!!! I did use 3 5 oz cans of Tuna so we could make more:-) Also used pepperjack cheese instead. Tasted great:-) Didn't change the other stuff:-)
I made the tuna tonight. I'm leaving it in the fridge overnight to let the flavors - esp the red wine vinegar - soak up. I got 3 5oz cans and adjusted the rest of the ingredients accordingly. I'm a garlic gal also so I added some minced garlic like some of the other reviewers. from what I tasted it's pretty darn good. I like that you can actually taste the other components without all of the mayo of the store bought versions and I'm a mayo freak so that means a lot! Thx for the recipe!
I am not a big fan of tuna fish (it's actually the closest thing to seafood that I'll eat), but since it got such great reviews, I thought that I would try it. I loved it! I used whole wheat bread, since I don't like rye, and didn't use tomato. I thought that the swiss cheese might over power the sandwich, but it didn't, and actually added a really good flavor. Thanks for the recipe.
Mmm! I didn't have all of the ingredients on hand, so mine was made without celery, on sourdough, and with american "cheese" but it was SUPER yummy, easy, and totally hit the spot! Will make again for sure (hopefully with the actual ingredients)! I see this being my fall-back tuna melt.
I really liked this, my husband didn't. I really liked it with canned chicken instead of tuna since I'm not a big tuna fan. and I forgot to get swiss cheese so i had to use cheddar, but i still enjoyed it a lot.
This was so good, and my husband said it was the best tuna melt he had ever had. I followed the recipe with the following exceptions: added 1 clove of garlic to the tuna, used low fat mayo, used 1 teaspoon of dried parsley instead of 1 tablespoon of fresh, and used provolone cheese instead of swiss. Also, I had made Jo's Rosemary Bread (from this website) earlier in the week in my breadmaker. Used that bread for these sandwiches instead of rye. I also followed another reviewers suggestion and broiled the bread on both sides for 1-2 min before adding the tuna and stuff. Wonderful. Will make many times again.
This was so easy to make, simple and very good! We had this for our lunch along with soup.
It was good, no doubt, but it wasn't great. I would make it again though, but would make with bread and butter pickles rather than tomato.
The only thing I did differently was to use pita bread and baked until cheese melted. Very good!
This is so so delicious. The only things I did differently were to substitute shred. carrots for the celery and sharp cheddar for swiss. YUMMMM.
Perfect! Couldn't have asked for a better-tasting and easier meal. I used sliced Camembert cheese and whole wheat bread and it was great.
Best tuna melt I've ever had/made! I put the rye in the toaster until slightly toasted first then topped it and put under the broiler to melt the cheese. Outstanding!
Good tuna, although I did change the recipe a bit. I added eggs. Two of them to be exact. I did not use any celery. I did more of a traditional sandwich...no tomato or swiss cheese and I used whole wheat bread
Made exactly as specified, only used wheat bread. Thanks to you, cookingirllj, what was going to be a boring tuna salad for lunch today turned out to be a crunchy, moist and flavor-packed treat. Hubby had never had tuna melt before, and this was a great first taste!
Although these were good Tuna Melts, they were rather ordinary and did not live up to all the spectacular reviews I read. The best tip I have is to be sure to toast the bread in your broiler about 2 minutes on each side. Then when you top it with the tuna salad, cheese and tomatoes, the bread does not get soggy. ALL in all, I thought this was nothing too special; just an everyday, plain old sandwich.
I not a huge tuna fan, but I really enjoyed this dish. The swiss cheese cut the taste of the tuna. Next time I think I'll brown both sides of the bread and slice the cheese thinner.
This is the best tuna sandwich I have ever had. It has changed the way I make tuna sandwiches for good. No longer do I ever load up on the mayo- the vinegar makes it so much better! I'm making it again tonight :)
This was excellent! Followed recipe and had to make it 2X in a row because everyone liked it so much.
WOW!! THIS WAS SO GOOD!! Made this as stated with hoggie buns. AWESOME! WIll definatley make again!!
Perfection! I did add a few tablespoons of diced red bell pepper to the mix, but it would be great without that, too. Love this for an easy weeknight dinner.
Excellent! Easy. Started by toasting bread, adding ingredients one by one about every 2 minutes under broiler so everything got toasty. Also put two layers of cheese to melt the tomato etc. into place keep it from sliding off.
This was okay, but I wouldn't make it again. Not the melt I was looking for. But the tuna salad was good by itself for just a plain sandwich on white bread.
Absolutely delicious! I kept the recipe the same and it was a big hit at my house!
I love this and I make these often. The balsalmic vinegar adds to the flavor. I use cheddar cheese but that is the only change I made. Very good.
It was very good as is, but I had to California it up the next time I made it! I added a scoop of sweet pickle relish to the tuna and put a layer of alfalfa sprouts under the tomato slice to add a hint of bitter greens to balance the sweet relish..YUM!
Great base recipe. It gave me a starting point and I made it a little more "me". Great, Thank you!
Very bland & dry. Kids HATED it, husband thought it was decent & healthy (which it is). UPDATE: My review was edited to remove my recommended changes..."Could benefit from more mayo, addition of olives to mix & put slice of bacon under tomato b4 topping with second layer of cheese". Hopefully this edit will not be cut as my other review was cut ;-(
These were very good, I made some on wheat bread and some on english muffins, and everyone ate the english muffin ones first lol, so I guess that says it all :)
These were great, I made tuna and chicken as some of my family doesnt like tuna. Both turned out great!
I'm rating as I am eating this delicious sandwich! I had a taste for a good tuna melt and this hit the spot. Thank you for sharing.
I used Pumpernickel bread otherwise followed the recipe exactly. My wife was blown away and has asked me to "cater" this for her next girls lunch party. She loves a Tuna Melt and could not believe that the best she has ever had came out of her own kitchen!.
Awesome! The directions lacked stating how far to set the rack below the broiler. I set mine to 5" below the broiler. Thanks CookinGirll!
We loved this! I made with Bumble Bee tuna, no onion, just a splash of vinegar, & added garlic, parlsey & paprika. I made Jerry's on Country White & mine on whole wheat. Broiled 1 slice with cheese & other slice with tuna, then put them together. Use a little less mayo.
Enjoyed it. I don't like rye bread so I made it with regular old wheat bread and that was much more to my liking.
Great meatless dinner item. Only things I did diff is I had some hamburger buns to use up and also realized I did not have red wine vinegar, so I used apple cider in its place. I toasted the buns in the toaster before I put the tuna, tomato and cheese on. I really am glad I did that because everything tasted as if it was grilled correctly and that way the top didn't get too brown waiting for the base to toast up. Next time I will try w/ the rye bread as I think that would be really good! Husband said to make these again! Really good recipe, glad someone pointed me in this direction. Had some leftover mac & cheese which is what we had with it for a good Friday Lenten dinner!!
OMG!! These are wonderful! They taste like no other tuna melt that I have ever had. My family raved about this recipe. This recipe will definately become a regular in our meal rotation. Thanks so much for sharing!
I whipped these together tonight for dinner and was very impressed. My husband loved them! We did swiss cheese and american cheese, and the swiss was far better. I don't care much for tuna, especially the thought of it being warm, but these were very tasty and I had no problem finishing mine. Very good recipe... I will definately make these again.
These were soooo yummy!! I sprinkled the tomatoes with Penzys sandwich sprinkle, added bacon, and used white american because I didn't have any swiss. They were great and an easy lunch!!
