Cast-Iron Tuna Melts with Cheddar and Dill Pickle
Mix canned tuna with mayo, pickle, red onion and mustard. Pile it on buttered bread with cheddar and toast the sandwiches in a 12-inch cast-iron skillet over a camp stove or low coals, covered, about 4 minutes per side. Plan on 15 minutes of prep and 16 minutes of cooking for 4 sandwiches in two batches.
A tuna melt is a good lunch for a travel day or a lazy afternoon. The tuna is shelf-stable, the bread is sturdy, and you only need one pan. A crisp buttery crust and gooey cheddar make it feel like a real meal.
The trick is low heat and a lid. Medium-low heat lets the cheese melt before the bread burns. Keep the tuna salad cold until it goes in the pan, and you're set.
Cast-Iron Tuna Melts with Cheddar and Dill Pickle
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 16 min
- Serves
- 4
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Heat
- Medium-low flame or low coals
- Pack weight
- 4 lb
- Campfire
- Camp stove
- Backpacking
- Cooler required
- One burner
- Low water
- One-pan cleanup
- Prep ahead
Ingredients
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Gear you'll need
- 12-inch cast-iron skillet
- Lid or heavy-duty foil
- Spatula
- Mixing bowl
- Can opener
- Knife and cutting board
- Camp stove or grill grate over coals
Steps
-
Mix the tuna salad
In a bowl, stir the tuna, mayo, pickles, onion, celery, mustard and lemon juice until combined. Season with pepper and a little salt. Keep the bowl in the cooler until you cook.
-
Butter the bread
Spread softened butter on one side of each slice. Lay four slices butter-side down on a clean plate or cutting board.
-
Build the sandwiches
Top each slice with a slice of cheddar, a scoop of tuna salad and a tomato slice if you like. Add another slice of cheddar, then a top slice of bread, butter-side up.
-
Heat the skillet
Set a 12-inch cast-iron skillet over medium-low heat on the stove, or on a grate over low coals. Hold your hand over it for about 5 seconds. It should feel warm, not scorching.
-
Toast the first side
Place two sandwiches in the skillet. Cover with a lid or foil and cook 4 minutes, until the bottoms are deep golden.
-
Flip and melt
Flip the sandwiches and cover again. Cook another 3 to 4 minutes, until the cheese is melted and the bread is crisp. If the bread browns too fast, slide the skillet to a cooler spot.
-
Repeat and serve
Move the first batch to a plate and cook the other two sandwiches the same way. Let them rest 1 minute, then slice in half and eat while hot.
Trail Notes
Mix the tuna salad at home and keep it in a sealed container on ice up to 24 hours. Pack the pickles and onion in it, then add the lemon at camp.
Mayo-based tuna salad should stay at 40°F or below. Keep it in the cooler until you build the sandwiches. Toss any leftovers that sat out over 2 hours, or over 1 hour in hot weather.
Use tuna pouches, single-serve mayo packets and a block of hard cheddar. Mix the salad fresh at camp and eat it all that day.
Pour drained tuna liquid into a sealed bag, not on the ground, since it draws animals. Wipe the skillet with a paper towel and pack out all crumbs and scraps.
Round out your camp day
Picked to work with the same kit as this recipe.
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LunchCast-Iron Crispy Gnocchi with Smoked Sausage and Spinach
Snack or treatCampfire Pie Iron Pizza Pockets with Mozzarella and PepperoniMore one-burner camping meals →Planning a trip? Get the free 3-day meal plan →
Campers ask
Can you make tuna melts over a campfire?
Yes. Set a cast-iron skillet on a grate over low coals, not open flames, and cover it so the cheese melts before the bread burns. Turn the skillet now and then to even out hot spots.
What bread is best for camp tuna melts?
Use sturdy sourdough or thick sandwich bread. Thin bread gets soggy under the tuna salad and burns fast in cast iron.
How do you keep tuna melts from getting soggy?
Drain the tuna very well and use a thin layer of cheese on the bread to act as a barrier. Toast on medium-low heat so the crust crisps before the middle gets wet.
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