Tuna sandwiches are my childhood, but I haven’t eaten them in years. They lose a little bit of their magic when you get older. They used to be towering stacks of delicious fish goodness, but now they’re tiny waifs of diminishing childhood dreams. That’s why I’ve created these French monster tuna melts. Because updating dreams to meet adult expectations is the secret to staying young!
Seriously, look at these things. They’re MONSTERS. Yes, please!
But really, it’s been years since I’ve had a tuna melt. I think I tried to make one a year ago (now known as the terrible tuna travesty), but it was so earth-shatteringly disappointing that I vowed to never eat a tuna sandwich ever again. The disillusionment from that sandwich was so intense that I temporarily lost faith in my ability to cook. It was bad. There were so many times since the terrible tuna travesty that I desperately wanted a good tuna sandwich, but I just didn’t have the heart.
But then, on a day filled with tuna sandwich cravings, I caved; the human mind can only take so much temptation. I had heard about the French pan bagnat and I knew that it was the variation on tuna sandwiches that would reintroduce tuna sandwiches into my life. And I was right. It was everything that I ever wanted in a sandwich. Can you tell how much I love this sandwich?
This recipe is a variation on the French pan bagnat. They aren’t usually made as melts, but dang if they aren’t delicious as melts. Personally, I adore making a good panini. It’s great on a summer day, on a winter day, on a mild day, on any day. I fell in love with the panini in 2009. I was on tour with the Madison Scouts Drum & Bugle Corps and got to go to a new restaurant that served paninis and only paninis and I haven’t looked back since.
If you want to make it cold, then just skip the last step.
These melts are something impressive to make for company, too. Or a date. Or any other event. Including hunger. Why? Because they’re insanely easy to make and taste like dreams incarnate. The only thing even slightly tricky about them is the fact that you need boiled eggs on hand to make the recipe.
And now I’m off to enjoy the fireflies before I need to wait another year to see them. Enjoy the sandwiches and don’t forget to come cook with me again!
- 2 tomatoes, sliced
- Salt to taste
- 1 can tuna
- ½ small red bell pepper, sliced
- Your choice of sandwich buns
- 6 oz. cheese of your choice
- 2 hard-boiled eggs, sliced
- 5 olives
- Freshly ground black pepper
- ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp. Dijon mustard
- Combine ingredients
- Assemble ingredients -- order is not important
- Add sauce
- Grill
- Enjoy!
Just looking at this thing renews my faith that a tuna sandwich can be worth my time, shattered lo these many years. I’m not even a sandwich fan, but this looks too good not to try.
Haha, thanks JD!
And I plan on making these next week. 😉 Mouth is watering . .
Fireflies? I haven’t seen fireflies in a long time! This looks amazing!
Cannot make this without roughly-cut gherkins!
A tuna melt without cheese is not a tuna melt in my book
I agree! That’s why I have 6 oz of cheese in my recipe and show it oozing from the sandwich! 🙂