Tuna Melt

I've always associated tuna sandwiches with Lent Fridays. That's because its what my parents used to always pack for lunch for us on Lent Fridays. It was either a tuna sandwich or an egg salad sandwich. With that said, I never really eat tuna sandwiches outside of Lent. Its not something I crave to eat. Nor would I go out of my way to get a tuna sandwich. So when hubby recently asked for a plain tuna sandwich, you can only imagine how I cringed at the thought. I decided to make a tuna sandwich for dinner tonight. But with a twist.

I've never really had a Tuna Melt, but I figured it was a great way to spruce up a plain old tuna sandwich. And maybe, just maybe, I would be able to look at a tuna sandwich in a different light. After doing my research on how to make the perfect Tuna Melt, I learned that it was nothing more than a tuna salad on toasted bread with melted cheese. So here is my take on the old classic. It came out pretty good. A warm tuna sandwich. However, I think I'll still be keeping the tradition of eating my tuna sandwich or melt on Lent Fridays.

12 oz canned tuna in water, well drained

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1 stalk of celery, finely chopped

1/4 of a medium onion, finely chopped

1/8 tsp. paprika

salt & pepper to taste

8 slices bread

tomato slices

1/2 cup shredded cheese

1) Lightly toast bread. While the bread is toasting, combine tuna, mayonnaise, celery, onion and seasonings in a medium bowl. Stir until well incorporated.

2) Place about 1/4 cup of the tuna mixture on 4 slices of lightly toasted bread. Top with about 2 tablespoons of cheese (or more if you like it cheesy). Place in the toaster oven and set to "broil" for 8-10 minutes, until cheese melts. Remove from oven and top with tomato slices and the other slices of toasted bread. Serve warm.