Follow us:

Cheesy Tuna Sandwich Spread

Though the Catholic Church only requires 14 years old and older to abstain from meat on Ash Wednesday, on all Fridays of Lent, and on Good Friday, my parents let me and my brother join the fun even when we were below 14. I really don't remember my exact age when I started doing seafood and veggie Fridays during Lent. All I remember is that my mom was very strict about it. There were even times when she made us abstain from meat for the whole period of Lent which means 40 days straight. But my brother and I have always loved seafood and veggies so it wasn't like a big torture for us. We were actually fine with that. 

It's very much the same with my daughters now. They love seafood and (some) vegetables so Ryan and I don't even have to force them to abstain from beef, pork and poultry. They've learned from church about the importance of this Catholic tradition and though they know that they are not yet required to observe it, they are very willing to. They are actually the ones who remind me that it's Friday so I will have to pack meat-free lunch for them.

Most of the time, my daughters prefer to eat sandwiches and fruits for lunch in school, and this Cheesy Tuna Sandwich Spread that I am sharing with you today is one of their favorite fillings. Like the Salmon Sandwich Spread that I have featured last year, this is not any ordinary fish sandwich spread.  It's very flavorful and it has cheese!!! Clarise and Cherlin love how cheesy and healthy this is...and they find eating it in sandwich rolls so much fun! I'm sure you'll love it too.


Ingredients:
Makes about 4 cups spread
  • 2 cans solid tuna in olive oil
  • ½ cup carrots, finely chopped
  • ½ cup celery, finely chopped
  • 1/8 cup yellow onion, finely chopped
  • 1/8 cup garlic chives, finely chopped
  • 1 Tbsp JalapeƱo, seeds removed and finely chopped
  • ¾ cup mayonnaise
  • ½ cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese
  • ½ cup finely shredded cheddar cheese
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • ¼ tsp black pepper
  • ½ Tbsp sugar, optional 

Procedure: 
1. Empty the cans of tuna (including the olive oil) in a bowl. Using a fork or spoon, flake the tuna. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well. 

Enjoy it either in a sandwich like this...

or in sandwich rolls (or sandwich sushi as Cherlin calls it) like these...

To make the sandwich:
1. Toast two slices of any bread of your choice for about 3-4 minutes at 350F. (Toasting the bread will prevent the bread from being soggy after you put the spread.)
2. Apply tuna spread on both slices of bread. Garnish with green leafy lettuce and tomatoes in the middle (optional).

To make the sandwich rolls:
1. Place a slice of bread on a flat surface and use a rolling pin to flatten it. You may remove the crust if you want. 
 2. Apply tuna spread on the bread, leaving about ½ inch space on all sides. Put a lettuce leaf on top of the spread. Apply another layer of spread on the lettuce. Roll up the bread tightly to enclose the filling. 

3. Cut roll crosswise into 4 slices.
Note: Transfer left-over spread in a tightly covered container and store in refrigerator. It will taste fresh up to 1 week.

23 comments :

  1. It's remind me I just have store bought thai spicy tuna the other day and I made sandwich out of it,and It was ok not spicy at all but i should try your version with cheesy taste sound YumMy :)
    have a great weekend !!
    Ridwan

    ReplyDelete
  2. I love your sophistication - not even a mini sandwich is good enough, you make these mini gorgeous rolls that may just look llike a high fi catering company ;)
    Nice one!

    Cheers
    Choc Chip Uru

    ReplyDelete
  3. I have tons of tuna and veggies and I haven't made dinner yet today. These Tuna Sandwich Rolls look both healthy and creative. As usual, you have taken normal ingredients and turned them into something exciting with your culinary magic!

    ReplyDelete
  4. U R RECIPES R ALWAYS QUITE INTERESTING.....N THIS LUKS EASY N YUM TOO.
    Maha

    ReplyDelete
  5. You have prepared this with quite a bit of flair, making the spirals-they look great. Also, the tuna salad has some unique flavor additions that I want to try. Thanks for posting this one, enjoy the weekend!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Oh, this sounds better than your average tuna salad, Tina! And I love that you rolled the bread. I finally gave in and made tuna casserole for my hubby for tonight's meatless dinner...I used a Southern Living recipe and he didn't complain that I didn't use the standby with cream of mushroom soup :)

    ReplyDelete
  7. delicious combination a favourite filling looks wonderful

    ReplyDelete
  8. Perfect! A birthday is coming soon and your dish will for sure find it's place on the table, what a beautiful presentation :)

    ReplyDelete
  9. These sandwich rolls are such a hit & I make them often for parties. I'm sure your kids finished them all in no time. Tuna has so much goodness in them & it's great for kids too. Lovely post, dear!

    Chk out my Happy Call Recipe: Fluffy Minced Pork Omelette too :) Enjoy your weekend, Tina!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Mmmm.. looks yummy!

    Your children are so sweet, reminding you if it's Friday. Now that Holy week is tomorrow na, this is perfect.

    I'm your fan now. Thanks for this recipe. :D

    ReplyDelete
  11. Sandwiches with tuna salad are one of my favorite :) And you rolled then and made really cute :)

    ReplyDelete
  12. Its also the same over here with the Catholics, abstaining from meat during Lent and Fridays. Though we are not Catholics, we too take a break from meat, in fact not much of meat dishes at home and my hubby prefers all the way for fish.

    Thats a lovely way of preparing the salad esp the rolled ones. Very creative I must say compared to the normal of filling the bread slices and topping with cheese. Perfect rolls for a simple meal and also for a party start up.

    ReplyDelete
  13. hi Tina! This is a great baon idea when we go for 'bisita iglesia'/'church-hopping' on Good Friday! Tuna sandwich has always been a staple snack for us, but making it into rolls brings it up a notch! :D

    ReplyDelete
  14. Meat-free for 40 days ?! Oh well , as long as there are seafood and veggies hahahha That is much more appetizing than using only tuna and mayo :) Much more healthier , too !

    ReplyDelete
  15. This is a great way to kick up boring tuna salad!! Looks yummy!

    ReplyDelete
  16. That's how you make the sandwich roll! It's very pretty. I've seen them in some bento box, but didn't know you have to flatten the bread first. Very good recipe for kids party etc! Delicious spread!

    ReplyDelete
  17. Lovely twist to the good ol' tuna salad.

    ReplyDelete
  18. On yummy - tuna salad sandwiches - my favorite! Love the addition of the cheese and the jalapeno!

    ReplyDelete
  19. This is brilliant. These sushi-bread rolls are great party food.

    ReplyDelete
  20. Thanks for all the wonderful comments everyone! I truly appreciate each one of them! :-*

    ReplyDelete
  21. Aw it is like sandwich sushi! Cute, I can see why they love eating them. All those vegetables in there must make it especially delicious.

    ReplyDelete