Monday’s Money Saving Recipe – Italian Tuna Melts / Chicken Bacon Melts

This is a versatile family favorite.  A great lunch or dinner on a hot day, especially when served with a cold, pasta salad.

The original recipe is for Italian Tuna Melts – my modified Chicken Bacon Melts recipe is at the end of the post.

Amount of ingredients depends on how much you want to make.  One can of tuna with one can of chopped black olives and some chopped bell pepper will be enough for one small loaf of french bread.  You can easily double it for two loaves or one larger loaf.  You need:

  • Loaf French Bread – sliced 1 inch thick
  • Canned Tuna – drained
  • Lemon juice (just a splash – as much or little as you want for flavor)
  • Shredded Mozzarella cheese
  • Chopped black olives 
  • Parsley – optional but good!
  • Other optional additions: finely chopped red onion, or red or green bellpepper

Let me stop right here and say that (a) I’m not good at taking pictures of food and (b) all my pans look terrible.  :D

Mix tuna (season with a little garlic salt and pepper), lemon juice, olives and parsley together.  Spread mixture onto slices of bread.  Top with cheese.

<—– There’s all mine made up.  Tuna Melts are on the left, Chicken Melts on the right.

Broil in the oven until cheese is melted.

My Chicken Bacon Melts are:

  • Shredded cooked chicken (I usually use canned but I have used Rotisserie chicken before when I had some I needed to use up)
  • cooked bacon crumbled
  • green onions
  • shredded colby jack cheese

Mix everything but the cheese, top it on bread and sprinkle cheese. Broil until cheese is melted.

Here are the finished products!

Again, I am not a food photographer but these things are REALLY good!

These are so easy and versatile – I can make them even if I don’t have one of the “filler” ingredients on hand.  And I can always substitute other veggies on top with whatever I have on hand.


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