Chef Tom Melts a Tuna

A Tuna Melt is the ultimate comfort food sandwich, especially if you spend a little and make it with the good stuff. Flavorful tuna fish salad, slices of sharp cheddar cheese, and freshly sliced tomatoes all melted together in a skillet on a thick, crispy golden bread. Your favorite chips, a crisp pickle, and a good beer. And the game. What else is there.

Tuna Melt

THE ULTIMATE TUNA MELT

Serves 8

This sandwich will literally melt in your mouth!

• Good Tuna Fish: On the expensive side, but well worth it. Drained from the can and mixed together.
• Mayonnaise: This is added to the tuna fish to make it rich and creamy.
• Celery: Sliced into small pieces.
• Red Onion: Sliced and diced up (optional)
• Parsley: One of my favorite seasonings.
• Salt and Pepper: Just a pinch.
• Bread: I like a thicker piece of bread but anything that you prefer is best. My favorite is a loaf of artisan green olive bread.
• Sharp Cheddar Cheese: Slice cheese thinly and add it to the sandwich to be melted. I love the tang of sharp cheddar.
• Tomato: Sliced thin and layered on the sandwich.
• Butter: Butter the outside of the bread that will be touching the skillet.

Ingredients:

4 cans PREMIUM 4-ounce tuna fish, drained

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1/4 cup celery finely chopped

1/4 cup red onion finely chopped

2 Tablespoons parsley chopped

salt and pepper

8 slices bread I used French bread

16 slices sharp cheddar cheese more if you want a layer on the bottom

tomato sliced

1/4 cup butter softened

Instructions:

In a medium sized bowl combine the tuna, mayonnaise, celery, red onion, parsley, salt and pepper.

Butter each slice of bread. Put one slice down on the butter side, add the cheese then the tuna mixture on top. Top with tomato and additional cheese. Place second buttered slice in top, with the butter on the outside.

Preheat a skillet to medium heat (key is to cook it on low, otherwise the butter burns to quickly). Add the sandwich to the skillet and heat for about 2-3 minutes until cheese starts to melt and it is golden brown. I use a glass lid. Flip to the other side and cook until the cheese is fully melted, and sandwich is golden brown.

ON THAT NOTE

Return to SIP. We got complacent, bored, fed up, whatever, the virus don’t care, it never sleeps. We didn’t pay attention and now it’s back and doing the only thing it knows how to do. Multiply.

So, we gotta stay in. We gotta stay safe. Lots of time.

What’s there to do but sit back, have an adult beverage, and listen to some really, really good music.

This one’s been around for a long time – over 30 years! I’ve listened to my favorite songs over the years, but listening to the whole concert is a rare treat.

Sound up.

Enjoy.

Black and White Night

Roy Orbison and friends! A black and white night! Spectacle complet!

=CTH=

Chef Tom is currently transitioning from Personal Chef to Private Chef. He also teaches cooking classes, caters small parties and leads overseas culinary tours. His specialty for the last twelve years has been cooking for people with food allergies and sensitivities. His motto is “Food should give you pleasure, not pressure.”

Check him out at www.hippkitchen.com