TUNA MELT

If you’ve ever strolled through Brooklyn and caught a whiff of golden, toasty bagels oozing with melted cheese, chances are you passed a shop serving the iconic tuna melt. This recipe brings that same warm, satisfying flavor right into your kitchen—comfort food that meets clean, protein-packed energy.

This TUNA MELT strikes just the right balance: creamy and savory tuna salad on a crisp, toasted bagel, mixed with melty cheese. crunch from thinly sliced celery and a zing of brightness from lemon and pickles. It’s simple enough for a weekday lunch but cozy enough for a leisurely Sunday brunch. Breakfast or lunch can be quick, wholesome, and delicious when you make it ahead of time and just pop it in the oven or pan-fry it before eating. From start to finish, you’ll be eating in under 20 minutes.

This dish is protein-packed, satisfying, and customizable. It works beautifully with everything from bagels and pitas to cheese wraps and even lettuce or boiled eggs.

Keep tuna salad refrigerated up to 3 days for quick meal prep.

Whether you’re making it for a solo lunch or a weekend brunch spread, it’s one of those recipes that proves comfort food and mindful eating can happily coexist.

Bon appétit! Your fork is waiting!

Prep Time15

Cook Time5

Total Time20

Course: Breakfast, Lunch, Main Course

Keyword: tuna breakfast, tuna melt, tuna salad, tuna sandwich

Servings: servings

Calories: 637kcal

Ingredients

4 7 oz cans tuna in water well drained
2 celery stalks very finely diced
⅓ cup parsley chopped
4 scallions chopped
⅓ cup pickles very finely diced
1 tsp garlic powder
1 TBSP onion flakes
½ tsp mustard powder (or 1 tsp dijon mustard)
2 TBSP everything bagel seasoning
salt to taste
ground black pepper to taste
2 TBSP lemon juice
1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup shredded cheese
4 pita breads or bagels split

OPTIONAL

sliced tomato to serve
lettuce to serve

Instructions

In a medium bowl, add drained tuna and break it up with a fork.
Mix in chopped celery, scallions, parsley, pickles, garlic and mustard powders, onion flakes, everything bagel seasoning, and black pepper.
Stir until creamy but still chunky; adjust salt, and add lemon juice and mayo so it’s rich, a bit tangy, and well-salted.
Add shredded cheese and mix well.
Preheat your oven to 425°F. Toast both sides of the bagel until lightly crisp and just starting to color. Divide the tuna salad evenly over each toasted bagel half, mounding it generously to deli level.
Or cut pita breads in half and open each half. Carefully stuff each pita half with tuna salad.
Add to the oven and bake 5–7 minutes until the cheese is fully melted and starting to bubble and brown in spots.
Let cool 1–2 minutes so the cheese sets slightly.
Add tomato slices or lettuce if you like (often served on the side at bagel shops), and serve open-faced or close two halves for an overstuffed sandwich.

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