The Tuna Melt

Before I even own an electric can opener, I now own both a mini food processor and an electric griddle. These are both birthday presents that decided to arrive about five days late, but I'm ok with that. Slightly ironically, I would have owned two mini food processors, as Mr. Tau didn't check my Amazon wish list to see if I might happen to have a mini food processor on there already. So, in short, he didn't get the one I had my eye one. But never fear, it turned out alright, because we had to go to a wedding last night. Can we say "Re-Gift?" So Mr. Tau instead ordered the other small kitchen appliance I had on my wish list, an electric griddle, and left it to Mother Tau to gift her daughter the correct mini food processor. So I now own two more small kitchen appliances that I did before, giving me a combined total of two.

Why you would ever put a cook top with two burners and a grill in a kitchen is beyond me. Obviously that person has never made a Thanksgiving dinner before.

With one week left before our two week "vacation" to Dublin and Barcelona, we are now in the process of using up all perishable items in our house, never mind the looming move that follows a mere five days after we get back. So, with the goal in mind to use many things from the fridge and use both my mini food processor and electric griddle, I made delicious tuna melts for dinner tonight. I now think that the perfect tuna salad is in and of itself enough of a reason to warrant getting a mini food processor. Not that Mother Tau's slightly obsessive compulsive method of giving the tuna exactly 100 energetic stirs with a fork doesn't work beautifully, but this is slightly less muscle cramp inducing.


The Tuna Melt
makes about 4 sandwiches


2 cans solid albacore tuna, well drained (Kitties love tuna juice!)
1/2 large carrot
1/2 small onion
pickles
4 TBsp real mayonnaise
1 TBsp mustard
sharp cheddar cheese
good and grainy whole wheat sandwich bread
your favorite tomato soup to accompany

This constitutes salad right?

 In your mini food processor, chop your carrot, onion, and pickle to your desired consistency. I like mine fairly small, as then I tend to forget that I'm eating vegetables. Set the chopped veggies aside, and add 3 TBsp of mayonnaise, the mustard, and the tuna into the processor and chop until well combined and no large pieces of tuna remain. Add the tuna to the vegetables and mix well. Add black pepper to taste. I don't usually add salt because of the pickles, but its up to you.

The tuna making process

The perfect tuna salad

Cheese, you know, for the "melt" part.

Mayonnaise on the outside.

Apply a hearty layer of tuna salad onto one side of your bread, and add a slice of sharp cheddar cheese. Now, this may sound strange, but it works, and it works really well. Smear a thin layer of mayonnaise on the outside of the bread. Yes, I know. You really want to just use butter. Mayonnaise, in this case, is so much better. The crunch you can get is unbelievable. Place over a low heat on your griddle, or pan if you don't have an awesome electric   griddle. This is to just heat the sandwich through to get it all warm and melty. Then, once melt-age has been achieved, turn up the heat to giver the sandwich a nice golden, crunchy outside layer. Go mayonnaise.

Grilled perfection. Nummers!

 Paired with a delicious tomato soup for dipping into, these sandwiches are awesome. Enjoy! 

Yes, I put a garnish on my soup.