Tuna Melts

As a general rule, I am not a fan or tuna or mayo. However, once or twice a year, I get a craving for tuna fish sandwiches – and especially like a tuna melt. The OCD weirdo in me will NOT eat tuna salad of any sort unless it’s been prepared in my own kitchen. I don’t care where you take me – high-class, low-class – I’m not eating it unless I’ve prepared it. This shocks a lot of people who’ve seen me eating in plenty a greasy spoon.

This fear of the unknown tuna likely goes back to my experience in the third grade when I ate tuna that wasn’t so fresh and ended up heaving my guts out next to my school bus while all of the kids watched in horror and fascination. So. I’m now 38 years old in the grand year of 2009 and eat tuna. Like I said, maybe once or twice year. (Don’t let my nasty gut heaver story stop you from making this one! Please.)

Tuna Melts

Ingredients
2 6-ounce cans of white albacore tuna packed in water
2 Tbs of non-fat plain yogurt
2 Tbs mayonnaise
¼ C onion – finely diced or shredded using a box grater
½ C shredded carrot
½ tsp salt
4 slices whole wheat bread, toasted
1 C part-skim mozzarella, cheddar, or the cheese of your choice

Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 400º F.
2. Drain tuna, dump into a bowl, and “shred” with a fork to break up the large chunks
3. In a small bowl combine the yogurt, mayo, onion, carrot, and salt until well combined and add to the tuna. Mix gently. You don't want to pulverize the poor tuna. It's already been put through the ringer in the ocean, ok kids?
4. Spread the tuna over the 4 slices of bread and top with the cheese.
5. Bake 5-10 minutes until the cheese is melted.
6. Serve immediately. You don’t want some nasty mush-like mess, do you?
7. Serves 2 (generously)

Notes:
Carrots: I always self-shred. The stuff that’s pre-bagged is just too chunky for my tastes.
Onion: I tend to veer toward grating the onion on a box grater because it turns the onion into a “juice” of sorts. I don’t like chunks of onion in my tuna. (I now see from where my son's gotten his whole texture issue. More mother guilt. Bring it on.)
Yogurt: Using the yogurt obviously cuts down on the fat calories in this recipe. I am not a fan of mayo and tend to like tuna salad that’s much drier than most people.
Mayo: Low-fat, full-fat, no-fat? The debate lives on. Use what you like. You’re the person eating the food. If you deny what you truly want, you’ll end up overdosing on the very taste and/or texture you were craving in the first place. My favorite mayo (if there is such a thing!) is Hellman’s. I grew up on Hellman's and won’t touch the “salad dressing” mayo stuff that’s on the market.
Bake time: Some people would disagree with the short bake time. I don’t like my tuna “warm.” I like the cheese melted and the tuna tepid. Do what you like best! You’re the one eating!

Variations:
Add celery, hot sauce, and/or chopped pickles.Don’t toast the bread if you like things less “crunchy.”

Feedback:
The husband and kid didn’t want to try this. The husband thought there were too many “of those vegetables in there!” If he had his way, tuna would be ½ tuna and ½ mayo. Literally. I can’t stomach that sorta thing. He’s the kind of person who will order tuna in a deli and ask for “extra mayo.” Gah. The kid? He loathes mixing his food and doesn’t have a taste for tuna yet. Time will tell on that one.