Classic Tuna Melt

Name: Classic Tuna Melt
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 4 slices Rye bread; 2 cans Canned tuna (packed in water, drained); 3 tbsp Mayonnaise; 1 cup Celery; 2 tbsp Dill relish; 1.5 cups Cheddar cheese; 4 tbsp Whole butter

Albacore salad, cheddar, tomato on rye, griddled crisp.

Developed and tested by The Neon Griddle test kitchenPublished August 1, 2026Last reviewed August 10, 2026Corrections

Prep: 10m
Cook: 15m
Serves: 2
Level: Easy

Ingredients

2servings

Rye bread4 slices
Canned tuna (packed in water, drained)2 cans
Mayonnaise3 tbsp
Celery1 cup
Dill relish2 tbsp
Cheddar cheese1 ½ cups
Whole butter4 tbsp

Instructions

1
Drain the tuna
Evacuate all water from the tuna to prevent structural failure.
2
Mix & season
Mix vigorously with mayo, finely diced celery, and relish.
3
Top & garnish
Spread heavily on rye bread, top with sharp cheddar.
4
Griddle & mark
Butter the exterior of the bread corner-to-corner and grill in a skillet over medium heat until golden and the cheese oozes outward.

Nutrition

Per serving · estimated

Our ingredient-by-ingredient calculation disagrees with this recipe’s recorded calorie figure, so one of the two is wrong. The nutrition panel stays empty until an editor re-tests the recipe.

Nutrition is estimated from the listed ingredients using standard reference values (USDA FoodData Central). 6 of 7 matched ingredients use verified FoodData Central entries (dictionary snapshot 2026-09-11). Brand, portion, and preparation differences can change the result. Frying fat is counted at the share typically absorbed, and brines drained before cooking are excluded. These figures are an estimate for general interest, not medical or dietary advice.

Equipment

Electric griddle / flat-top

A flat-top holds one temperature across the whole surface, so every tortilla and egg in a batch cooks at the same rate.

Also useful here

Cast iron skillet — Cast iron stores enough heat to keep searing when cold food hits it, which is what produces the crust.

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