Try this Clean Eating Tuna Melt Recipe
- pinch salt
- pinch ground black pepper
- 6 oz can sustainably caught wild tuna packed in water drained
- 3 tbsp cream cheese
- pinch garlic or onion powder
- 2 whole grain english muffins or bagels (slices of bread w
- 1/4 cup shredded cheddar or any cheese divided (slices work too)
- green onions chopped (optional)
- Carbohydrate 1.77045 g
- Cholesterol 47.85 mg
- Fat 14.8944 g
- Fiber 0 g
- Protein 2.57955 g
- Saturated Fat 8.39202 g
- Serving Size 1 1 recipe (44g)
- Sodium 294.667 mg
- Sugar 1.77045 g
- Trans Fat 2.127585 g
- Calories 149 calories
Step-by-step
- In a small bowl, mix tuna, cream cheese, salt, pepper and garlic powder with a fork.
- Cut English muffins or bagels in half and toast.
- Divide tuna mixture between 4 toasts, top with 1 tbsp cheese, place on baking sheet and broil on High for 6 - 7 minutes or until cheese is melted and browned a bit.
- Serve immediately with soup, salad or vegetables.
Why is the bread soggy underneath the tuna before the cheese even starts to brown? Excess moisture is the primary culprit when standard sandwich fillings fail under high heat, releasing water into the crumb and ruining the texture. Draining canned fish thoroughly through a fine-mesh sieve removes surplus liquid, while binding the protein with cream cheese instead of heavy mayonnaise creates a stable emulsion that resists weeping in the oven. Incorporating dried aromatics like garlic or onion powder directly into this binder infuses the mixture without adding unwanted water weight.
Spreading the tuna mixture evenly across toasted whole grain English muffins ensures structural integrity, requiring precisely six to seven minutes under a high broiler setting to melt the cheddar without scorching the edges. Watch for bubbling fat on the cheese surface and lightly browned edges as the visual cue to pull the baking sheet from the oven immediately. Because the moisture balance is delicate, assembling these open-face sandwiches far in advance leads to soggy English muffins; instead, mix the tuna and cream cheese base up to 24 hours ahead, storing it covered in the refrigerator until ready to toast fresh.
