Use A Croissant For Your Tuna Salad Sandwich And You'll Never Look Back

With creamy mayonnaise, flaky tuna, tangy onion, a spoonful of hot mustard, and the perfect seasoning, tuna salad is a whirl of harmonizing ingredients. While there seems like an endless list of ways to elevate this dish or propel its flavor, what if the vessel for the tuna salad was what needed to change? Talk about thinking outside the box. Once you place tuna salad inside a croissant, the realm of tuna possibilities seems endless.

Instead of two thick, crusty pieces of bread sandwiching on either side of your deliciously creamy tuna salad, why not swap this for an utterly irresistibly soft and flaky croissant instead? The buttery croissant fantastically adds rich flavor and a completely new texture dimension. In contrast to bread, the croissant is light and tender. Its crescent shape also makes for playful eating, as the traditional and basic form of square, triangular, or sub also gets a revamp. Give your tuna salad a French flair in appearance and taste; it's simply irresistible.

Croissant sandwiches are not a new phenomenon, as demonstrated by the beloved ham and cheese croissant, also known as croissant jambon-fromage in French, which is a beloved delicacy enjoyed throughout France. The abundantly buttery nature of the croissant means it adds richness and depth to the savory ingredients it's paired with. It has that beautiful fatty pastry consistency, which is considered much lighter than its puff pastry cousin. Fresh croissants are paramount to experiencing this medley in the best possible way, as their flaky layers are all the more airy and crisp. 

Croissants are a fantastic courier for tuna salad, although they are noticeably softer than bread. Yet, a texture contrast can still be achieved by incorporating crunchy ingredients into the tuna salad. Chopped dill pickles, sliced red onion, or diced celery are all conventional additions to the salad that would create the ideal bite in each mouthful. If you're searching for a more crispy crunch, chips would also work exceptionally well. Press the croissant down with a thick layer of potato or corn chips above the tuna salad, and that first bite is sure to be all the more satisfying.

Using fresh croissants from a bakery may not always be possible, but there's a way to revive stale croissants if that's all you've got to hand. Simply sprinkle each croissant with water and wrap in aluminum foil, then place inside a preheated oven for between 5-10 minutes. The same revitalization can also be achieved in a microwave. Omit the foil, wrap each instead in a damp towel, and heat for 10-15 seconds. In both instances check the croissants regularly to avoid a soggy mess.

Another clever way to use stale croissants is to turn your tuna salad croissant into a tuna melt scenario. Place the tuna salad ingredients inside each croissant with the cheese of your choice, brush the exterior with butter, and bake until the cheese is gooey. The croissant's exterior becomes golden and toasted, while the chewy center begins to soak up the fattiness from the cheese and mayonnaise – moistly refreshing its stale core.

Tuna salad excellently embraced inside a croissant is a brilliant example of how everyday dishes can be transformed with a simple change. It has a certain je ne sais quoi (a quality that cannot be described) that can only be experienced by trying it for yourself.