• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
The Life Jolie logo
  • Thanksgiving Recipes
  • Recipes
  • About
  • Contact
    • Work with me!
    • Video Production
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Thanksgiving Recipes
  • Recipes
  • About
  • Contact
    • Work with me!
    • Video Production
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • ×

    The Life Jolie » Main/Entree » Open Face Tuna Melt

    Open Face Tuna Melt

    Published: Apr 19, 2016 · Modified: Jul 6, 2022 by Jessy Freimann · This post may contain affiliate links · This blog generates income via ads.

    When I was a teenager, one of my earliest jobs was a hostess at a diner around the corner from my parent's house. It's a restaurant owned by two brothers and they have some seriously yummy food! One of my favorite things on their menu is their Tuna Melt. It's so delicious that it became my benchmark for all future Tuna Melts and as they say in Wicked, I have been changed for good (I know, I'm a terrible musical theatre geek!).

    This Open Face Tuna Melt recipe is super quick and easy to make. It's a simple classic sandwich that makes the most delicious lunch!

    There are a few key things that I keep in mind when making a Tuna Melt or any sandwich that involves deliciously-melty cheese:

    1. Butter the outside of the bread in addition to the pan. You can also use mayonnaise on the bread, which also adds a beautiful golden brown crust. But make sure you use butter in the pan because it provides such delicious flavor.
    2. Don't use heat that is too high. You want your cheese to have a chance to melt but if the heat is too high your bread will burn and your sandwich will be ruined (unless you like the burned flavor, in which case carry on).
    3. Cover the pan. While we're on the topic of melty cheese, covering your pan also helps to get the cheese all gooey and amazing. When I worked at restaurants, I've actually seen the cooks squirt a bit of water under the cover to create more steam, but I've never actually tried that myself. So no guarantees if you try that.

    This Open Face Tuna Melt recipe is super quick and easy to make. It's a simple classic sandwich that makes the most delicious lunch!

    This sandwich is totally versatile. You can really go in any direction you want with the toppings. I personally prefer mozzarella or a good quality cheddar for maximum melty-awesomeness. I also prefer some thinly sliced tomato on the sandwich and when I'm feeling really crazy I'll sometimes can throw some nice, crispy bacon on it as well (though I usually leave the bacon out because I'm terribly lazy). My preferred bread is sour dough but I often prepare this with regular white bread because it's what's usually available in my kitchen.

    This Open Face Tuna Melt recipe is super quick and easy to make. It's a simple classic sandwich that makes the most delicious lunch!

    So go ahead and make this extra-tasty sandwich for lunch. Maybe serve it with some Tomato Soup to up the comfort factor. It's quick, it's easy and it tastes fantastic!

    This Open Face Tuna Melt recipe is super quick and easy to make. It's a simple classic sandwich that makes the most delicious lunch!

    Tuna Melt

    Source: The Life Jolie, inspired by the Tuna Melt at Long Pond Family Restaurant

    Cook Time: 15 minutes total, 5 minutes active , 10 minutes cook time

    Ingredients:

    • Tuna salad, mixed however you like (I keep it simple with mayonnaise, diced celery and sweet relish)
    • Sliced cheese
    • Thinly sliced tomatoes
    • Bacon (optional)
    • Bread
    • Butter

    Melt some butter in your pan over medium heat.

    While the butter melts, spread some butter (or mayonnaise) on the outside of the piece of bread.

    Spread a generous layer of tuna salad on the bread, followed by tomatoes, bacon (if you're using it) and the cheese.

    Place the sandwich in your pan and cover it.

    Check on the sandwich after a five or ten minutes.

    Once the underside is golden brown, remove the sandwich and enjoy it immediately!

    You can find a full index of my recipes here.

    Don't forget to follow The Life Jolie on Pinterest for more recipe inspiration!

    Linked up at

    « Parmesan Roasted Asparagus with Fried Eggs
    Gluten-Free Peanut Butter Bars »
    • Share
    • Flipboard
    • Tweet

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. alison says

      April 19, 2016 at 11:39 am

      I love how you write! I definitely don't like a burnt sandwich and I do like melted cheese and often have the heat up too high so it can be stressful! I will have to try an open face sandwich as a variation of my normal sandwich!
      Reply
      • Jessy says

        April 25, 2016 at 8:50 pm

        Thank you :) We've all had those burnt sandwich moments- it always makes me so sad to waste perfectly good cheese :)
        Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

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

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    Jessy in a kitchen holding a white casserole pan and smiling.
    Hi, I'm Jessy!

    Welcome to The Life Jolie! I share simple, delicious recipes and ingredient prep tips to make your weeknight cooking a breeze!

    More about me →

    Fall Recipes

    • A spoon holding a scoop of potato ham soup.
      Creamy Ham and Potato Soup
    • A bowl of chicken and egg noodles soup with sliced bread and another bowl behind it.
      Hearty Chicken Noodle Soup
    • A square image of the Toll House Cookie Recipe
      Easiest Chocolate Chip Cookies
    • Say goodbye to dry and tough pork chops: these Smothered Crock Pot Pork Chops are the ultimate fall-apart tender comfort food. With just 4 ingredients, this easy dinner will be your new go-to dump dinner!
      Fall Apart Slow Cooker Pork Chops
    • An overhead image of sliced turkey on a platter surrounded by fresh herbs in the middle of a Thanksgiving table.
      Roasted Spatchcock Glazed Turkey with Bourbon
    • Side angle image close up of Brie Phyllo Cup on a sheet pan
      Baked Brie Phyllo Cups

    Popular Recipes

    • A square image of how to melt chocolate chips in the microwave showing the chocolate once it's melted.
      How to Melt Chocolate Chips in the Kitchen
    • Italian Stuffed Zucchini Boats are the healthy weeknight meal you'll want to make again and again. This is a seriously easy recipe that's full of delicious flavor without all the guilt!
      Italian Stuffed Zucchini Boats
    • Shrimp Macaroni Salad
      Very Best Shrimp Macaroni Salad Recipe
    • A square image of a white pot pouring cheese sauce over a bowl of broccoli with a blue towel behind it.
      Cheese Sauce for Broccoli Recipe
    • Do you love the Cheesecake Factory's Thai Lettuce Wraps! Well then why not make them at home? They're easy to make and totally delicious!
      Reader Request: Copycat Cheesecake Factory Thai Lettuce Wraps
    • A square image of Greek Yogurt Roasted Chicken Thighs.
      Greek Yogurt Roasted Chicken Thighs Recipe

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • About Me
    • Privacy Policy + Disclaimer

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Contact
    • Video Production

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright 2014-2021 - Jolie Ventures, LLC. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy.