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Open-faced tuna melts with cream cheese turn creamy tuna dip into an ultimate comfort dinner that's ready in under 30 minutes. Slather it on bread, top with fresh tomato slices and cheddar cheese and broil it in the oven.
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Don't rule this out because you think there are too many carbs! I like to serve it on keto chaffles or cauliflower waffles.
Confession time. I'm not in the hater camp, but I'm not a really big fan of tuna. My hubby and darling daughter are. They could go for weeks eating tuna fish sandwiches for lunch. I shy away from even opening and draining a can.
The difference between their sandwiches and this creamy hot sandwich (which I truly DO enjoy) is the addition of cream cheese, fresh tomato slices, and cheddar cheese. It's an upgrade to a basic tuna melt that tastes extra special. And delicious.
Serving it open-face is a way to cut out some carbs and calories. Plus, it's pretty! Or you can forgo the bread altogether, since it started out as a dip, much like artichoke dip with cream cheese.
Steps
The first step is to make a warm tuna dip by softening celery and onion in a skillet and then blending together cream cheese and mayonnaise, followed by tuna fish.
Don't stop there and sit down for a taste! Is it just me? I could sit down with some chips and vegetable dippers and call it a night!
The next step is to spread the hot tuna melt dip over your favorite bread, top it with sliced tomato and more cheese and then broil! That's it!
Low-carb bread options
You can make this low-carb if you choose a good bottom layer! Find your "bread." It could be:
- Thin-sliced whole grain bread
- Keto chaffes or cauliflower waffles
- Little to no-carb bread available at many grocery stores or on Amazon these days!
- Very low-carb flour tortillas
- Whole grain flatbread
- Cloud bread.
And if all else fails, pick a vegetable dipper or low-carb cracker and dig in! After all, it started out as a dip.
Variations
There are endless ways to serve open-face tuna melt sandwiches:
- Serve on an English muffin or in a croissant, traditional and a bit fancy.
- Leave off the parsley garnish (a.k.a the green stuff) if you have picky eaters in the house.
- Definitely add the parsley garnish if serving a more sophisticated palate, as it enhances the presentation. (Dried parsley is a staple at our house.)
- Green onions are an alternative to white onions.
- Top with cooked bacon and then broil.
- If the bread is sliced thin, then toast it lightly first so it's firm enough to hold the tuna mixture.
- Shave a little time off the total cooking time by using pouch tuna. It makes the prep even easier - just tear open the package. No draining involved.
Would you like more easy, healthy, carb-conscious recipes?
📋 Recipe
Open-Faced Tuna Melts with Cream Cheese
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Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- ½ cup celery diced
- ½ cup onion diced
- 4 ounces Cream cheese cut into cubes
- ¼ cup Mayonnaise
- Dash of garlic powder
- 10 ounces Solid White Albacore Tuna packed in water drained
- 6 slices Carb-free bread Or other bread of choice
- 1 tomato sliced
- 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese shredded
- Optional parsley garnish
Instructions
- Set oven to broil.
- Heat olive oil in a pan over medium heat.
- Add celery and onion to pan and saute for about 3-5 minutes or until softened.
- Add cream cheese, mayonnaise and garlic powder to pan. Stir to melt and combine ingredients.
- Stir in tuna and remove from heat.
- To assemble sandwiches, divide tuna mixture between slices of bread and spread in an even layer.
- Place tomato slices on top of the tuna.
- Sprinkle cheese over the top of the tomato.
- Place sandwiches on a broiler pan and place in the oven for about 2 minutes or until the cheese begins to melt.
- Garnish with parsley, if desired.
Notes
- Thin-sliced whole grain bread.
- Little to no-carb bread available at the grocery store or on Amazon these days!
- Very low-carb flour tortillas
- Whole grain flatbread
- Cloud bread.
Nutrition
Sunny says
Do you toast the bread first to avoid soggy bread?
Marjory Pilley says
It is helpful to toast the bread first, especially if it is very soft!
Samma says
I'm not a huge fan of tuna, but had a can in the pantry and made this. It's really good, like a dip, but on bread. The family loved it.
Linda Chase says
Does the calorie count include the whole wheat bread? Is a low calorie wheat bread?
Marjory says
Hi! The nutritional estimate includes whole wheat bread.
Kim Beaulieu says
These are absolutely incredible. My hubby would love these. Now you've got me wondering if I could do something like this with salmon.
Marjory says
Absolutely! And with crab too!