Tuna Melt With Spanish Flavors

Total Time: 28 mins Preparation Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 8 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 4
• 6 ounces chunk tuna packed in oil, drained
• 1 roasted red pepper, peeled and chopped (from a jar is fine)
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 4 -6 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 -2 teaspoon paprika (preferably hungarian or spanish)
• lemon juice
• salt
• pepper
• 8 slices sun-dried tomato bread
• 8 ounces aged gouda cheese (may use jack or cheddar)
• olive oil, for brushing the bread

Recipe

• 1 make the tuna mixture: in a medium bowl, break up the tuna using a fork; mix in the red pepper, onion, mayonnaise, olive oil, paprika, a few drops of lemon juice, salt, and pepper; adjust amount of mayonnaise to reach a nice thick consistency.
• 2 make the sandwiches: lay out 4 slices of bread; top each with ¼ of the cheese; top with the tuna mixture, then with the remaining bread.
• 3 brush the outside of the sandwiches lightly with olive oil.
• 4 heat a heavy nonstick skillet over med-high heat; add in sandwiches (do this in batches).
• 5 weight them down with the bottom of a heavy frying pan, not to press them but to hold the tops on and keep them flat while the cheese melts.
• 6 decrease heat to medium; cook on the first side until the bread is crisp and golden; then turn over and repeat.
• 7 lift the weighting pan every so often to check on the cheese—when it melts, you can tell because a little bit will ooze out and when the bread is gold and crisp, remove sandwich from the pan.
• 8 *if the bread is getting too dark before the cheese melts, decrease the heat.