Introduction
Greater Tuna is an open faced tuna sandwich served hot, topped with melted cheese and cherry tomatoes. Simple and delicious, you could say it tops the scales.
Jessica Simpson: Is this chicken, what I have, or is this fish? I know it’s tuna, but it says ‘Chicken of the Sea.’
It’s fish, Jessica.
Recipe
Greater Tuna
Equipment
- baking sheet – lined with foil
- cutting board
- kitchen knife
- glass bowl
Ingredients
- 1 cup albacore tuna – drained and flaked with a fork
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- ¼ cup celery – finely chopped
- 3 tbsp red onion – finely chopped
- 1 tbsp pickle relish
- 1 tbsp pickle brine
- 1 cup cheddar cheese – freshly grated
- 2 slices sourdough bread – thinly sliced
- 4 slices cheddar cheese
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes – halved
- 1 tbsp fresh dill – finely chopped
- 1 tsp kosher salt – more to taste
- ½ tsp black pepper – more to taste
Instructions
- In a glass bowl, toss the flaked tuna with the mayonnaise, mustard, celery, onion, relish, brine and grated cheddar.1 cup albacore tuna, 1/4 cup mayonnaise, 1 tsp Dijon mustard, 1/4 cup celery, 3 tbsp red onion, 1 tbsp pickle relish, 1 tbsp pickle brine, 1 cup cheddar cheese
- Add the bread slices on top of a foil lined baking sheet. Lightly toast the bread slices under the broiler.2 slices sourdough bread
- Add a slice of cheddar to each piece of toast, then return to the broiler for about 2 minutes to melt the sliced cheese.4 slices cheddar cheese
- Carefully remove, then add a generous scoop of the tuna mixture to each piece of cheesy toast. Return to the broiler, just until the grated cheddar in the tuna mixture begins to melt.
- Carefully remove from the broiler again, top with cherry tomato halves and dill, plus a sprinkle of salt and pepper to taste.1 cup cherry tomatoes, 1 tsp kosher salt, 1/2 tsp black pepper, 1 tbsp fresh dill
- Serve open faced with a fork and knife.
PRIVATE NOTES
Nutrition
More Information
Inspiration
“Greater Tuna” is a long-running hit production by Hill Country Community Theater (HCCT) in Austin, Texas. Originally produced in 1981 by authors Jaston Willams, Joe Sears, and Ed Howard, it features two actors playing the entire population of Tuna, Texas. They quick-change between costumes and characters in a set of comedic plays.
The inspiration for The Greater Tuna sandwich comes only from the name. I lived in Austin, TX for many years, and frequently walked past HCCT on Congress Avenue. The sandwich name seems like a funny and nostalgic reference to this production.
Tuna
I like to use wild-caught canned Albacore tuna packed in spring water. It is said that too much Albacore is not a good thing because as an apex predator, they can concentrate Mercury. I may be mad-as-a-hatter, but I think it simply tastes better than other canned tunas. Just eat it in moderation, and I think you will be o.k.
Bread
In my opinion, toasted sourdough makes for the best Tuna-melt sandwich. If you can’t find sourdough, you could use wheat bread instead.
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