Ditch The Toast And Serve Your Tuna Melt On A Slice Of Cornbread

Sometime in the 1960s, rumor has it, the first tuna melt sandwich came into existence completely by accident when, at a Woolworth's lunch counter in South Carolina, a cook dropped tuna salad onto a grilled cheese sandwich — and a comfort-food classic was born. 

Tuna melt sandwiches are arguably the epitome of tasty toasties, a delicious pairing of flaky tuna with gooey melted cheese, piled on crunchy toasted bread — this is one happy accident nobody regrets. Decades have passed since its creation, however, so perhaps it's time for an update: Consider ditching the toast and placing your tuna melt's flavor at the center of a sweet square of golden cornbread.

Cornbread has that wonderfully crumbly, soft texture that's imbued with sweet notes from the corn and tender, moist nuances from the butter. Picture a generous slice of cornbread crowned with creamy tuna and dripping with melted cheese. The cornbread adds a subtle sweetness, the tuna injects savory heft, and the cheese brings a creaminess that connects all of the ingredients. The combination works because cornbread is packed with flavor, serving as a worthy alternative to sometimes flavorless bread. If boosting your tuna melt's taste is your mission, cornbread could be the answer.

The flavors of cheese, tuna, and corn have been in a love triangle for a while in dishes such as cheesy corn, corn and tuna salad, and tuna and cheese casserole. It just makes sense to unite them by way of a tuna melt on cornbread. However, if you usually make your cornbread in the northern style, you might bake bread whose sweet disposition could lead your tuna melt into dessert territory. If you prefer your tuna melt firmly on the savory side, choose a cornbread recipe that uses buttermilk or only a small amount of sugar. This will produce a cornbread that has a more savory flavor.

Among the numerous ways to elevate the taste of cornbread, there are plenty that complement the flavors in your tuna melt. For instance, adding shredded cheese to the cornbread will accentuate the salty and creamy elements of the melt. Herbs that pair harmoniously with fish, such as fresh dill, can be added to a cornbread batter to impart a light and fresh essence to the bread. For an added depth of savoriness and bite, add sautéed chopped onions into the cornbread mixture before baking or frying. Don't feel restricted by the parameters of your cornbread recipe; experiment and see what matches well with the flavors in your tuna melt.

One element cornbread can lack is that irresistible, satisfying crunch that perfectly toasted bread guarantees. While baking cornbread in a skillet can achieve an admirably crispy exterior, it still doesn't have the dominating crunch of toast. You could consider accentuating the crunch by adding crispy ingredients to the tuna mixture, such as fresh scallions or red onion, crumbled potato chips, or roughly chopped dill pickles.

The possible downside to this is that bulking up the tuna filling may take away from the smooth texture that many people prefer. What you want to achieve is a crispy texture that's separate from the tuna melt component. Fried cornbread can provide that desired crunch. It's denser than the typical cornbread texture, with a divinely satisfying crunch and a beautiful deep golden color. Fried cornbread is cooked on a griddle or cast-iron skillet instead of being baked, which provides the perfect bite that traditional cornbread might lack.

Bake it or fry it, the choice is yours. Either way, cornbread, filled with warm corn aromas and buttery notes, could be the update your tuna melt has been needing.