This Irresistible Tuna Melt Dip Is Ready in Under 30 Minutes

It’s a tuna melt in shareable form.

By
Catherine Jessee
Catherine Jessee
Catherine Jessee is a Test Kitchen Assistant in the Dotdash Meredith Food Studios. She has tested recipes for brands including Simply Recipes, All Recipes, Eating Well, Food & Wine, Real Simple, People, and Southern Living.
Learn about Simply Recipes' Editorial Process
and
Sara Bir
Sara Bir
Sara is a chef, culinary educator, and author of three cookbooks, The Pocket Pawpaw Cookbook, Tasting Ohio and The Fruit Forager's Companion. The latter won a 2019 IACP Cookbook Award.
Learn about Simply Recipes' Editorial Process
Updated January 03, 2024
Close-up: Tuna melt dip in a casserole dish with a stainless steel spoon

Simply Recipes / Photo by Fred Hardy / Food Styling by Jennifer Wendorf / Prop Styling by Lindsey Lower

Is there anything as comforting as a well-stuffed tuna melt? It’s one of my favorite diner orders, as well as easy solo dinners at home.

But making tuna melts for a crowd is faster and more fun when you take that tuna salad and make it a warm dip! Mix together an herby tuna salad, layer it in a dish with chopped fresh tomatoes on top, cover with grated cheddar cheese, and bake until bubbly. Try serving this one with rye bread. With a simple green salad it can be an easygoing dinner, but you can trot it out as a party dip, too.

Spoon lifting tuna melt dip from a casserole dish, and in the surroundings, toast on the counter next to a couple of glasses of seltzer

Simply Recipes / Photo by Fred Hardy / Food Styling by Jennifer Wendorf / Prop Styling by Lindsey Lower
More Dinners to Make With Canned Tuna
Classic Tuna Noodle Casserole
Tuna Burgers with Dill Olive Mayo
Tuna Pasta With Tomato and Olives

Tuna Melt Dip

Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 25 mins
Total Time 35 mins
Servings 4 servings (serving size: 3/4 cup)
Yield 3 cups

Ingredients

  • 1 cup mayonnaise

  • 1/4 cup thinly sliced scallions, plus more for garnish

  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, plus more for garnish 

  • Juice of 1 lemon

  • 1 teaspoon chopped fresh tarragon

  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

  • 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

  • 3 (6-ounce) cans solid white tuna in oil, drained

  • 2 large plum tomatoes (1 cup chopped)

  • 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded sharp Cheddar cheese

  • Toasted rye bread slices, cut into triangles, for serving

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
  2. Make the tuna salad:

    In a large bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, scallions, parsley, lemon juice, tarragon, mustard, and black pepper. Add the drained tuna and stir, using a fork to separate tuna flakes, until it’s evenly combined.

  3. Assemble the dip:

    Spread the tuna salad across the bottom of an 8-inch cast-iron skillet or 1 1/2-quart round baking dish in an even layer. Arrange the tomatoes over the tuna salad in an even layer, then sprinkle the cheese over the tomatoes.

  4. Bake and serve:

    Bake until the cheese is melted and everything is just warmed through, 25 to 30 minutes.

    Garnish with chopped parsley and scallions. Serve warm with toasted rye bread.

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Nutrition Facts (per serving)
704 Calories
55g Fat
6g Carbs
45g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories 704
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 55g 71%
Saturated Fat 13g 63%
Cholesterol 111mg 37%
Sodium 639mg 28%
Total Carbohydrate 6g 2%
Dietary Fiber 1g 5%
Total Sugars 2g
Protein 45g
Vitamin C 24mg 120%
Calcium 229mg 18%
Iron 2mg 10%
Potassium 851mg 18%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.