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I have a gluten, dairy, and egg free tuna melt recipe for y’all.

We already established this week that I’m not physically pregnant, but that we are expecting so I’m guessing you are sitting there right now thinking, “A tuna melt? Maybe she is pregnant.” I can guarantee I am not pregnant, but I have been having the most bizarre cravings for a tuna melt.

The problem, though, was I couldn’t figure out how I’d make it gluten, dairy and egg free. Until of course, I did.

Gluten, Dairy, and Egg Free Tuna Melt

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There are three parts to any great tuna melt: bun, tuna, cheese.

Bun

My buns totally rock. I developed this recipe a little while after the Savory Hempseed Flatbread recipe. There are a couple secrets to this recipe:

1. The plantains have to be green, not slightly-yellow and definitely not yellow (but if you have yellow ones, you should totally make these Plantain Breakfast Poppers).
2. You need an ice-cream sandwich cookie pan (I think I got mine from Michaels).

After you review the recipe, you will likely think there is no way these ingredients can turn into bread. Mark my word, they can, they do and they will. We have been having them weekly for a few months now.

Tuna

The key to a great tuna salad is typically the mayo. I think it was that “zing” flavor (if there is such a thing) that I was craving mostly. But remember the last time I ate eggs? Yeah. They landed me in the ER, and so I’m still pretty scared to try them again (although I’m planning to in a small dose soon).

And then I remembered, “Just Mayo.”

I had not yet tried the product, but I bought it. While I don’t believe the ingredients are anything to write home about, for a mayo they are certified Non-GMO plus there are no eggs in it. As someone who rarely eats mayo, I am confident in my purchasing decisions, and I would recommend the product and brand to anyone who wants a mayo alternative as well.

But the tuna salad wasn’t just about the mayo. I do believe that the mustard I used in conjunction was also key. I get my mustard (usually) from the Farmer’s Market: Murphy’s Mustard Co., Claim Jumper. It was a boost of added “zing.”

“Cheese”

This one is not rocket science. There is nothing fancy about this. Nutritional yeast is what I used. Nutritional yeast is a magical ingredient. There are many ways to turn nutritional yeast into more of a “creamy” sauce, but for this recipe, I decided to just liberally sprinkle it all over the top prior to baking.

What that means is that the finished product of your tuna melt won’t have a melting “overhang” like it would if you used standard shredded cheese, so don’t expect that look.

Beyond that, nutritional yeast is safe for Vegans, and contains, “B-vitamins, folic acid, selenium, zinc, and protein. It’s low in fat, is gluten-free (check specific brands for certification), and contains no added sugars or preservatives.”

After you have prepared both the buns and the tuna, simply place all buns on a baking sheet (I love my cast iron one). Add the tuna mixture, and then sprinkle as much nutritional yeast as desired to the top.

Bake at 250 degrees for about 12-18 minutes, depending on how warm/hot and/or melted to want your tuna melt. (I only did 12 minutes, and next time I’ll likely do closer to 18 minutes.)

And enjoy! We sure did….Ryan had 4, I had 2 and Samarah had 1/2 of one. She was mostly interested in the bun. I make them for her all the time, and dress them up in several different ways because she loves them. Then again, she totally digs the AIP Bread.

Oh, p.s. The pan mold makes 12 buns. I only made 10 tuna melts. Two of them never made the final product because I ate them when they had come freshly baked out of the oven. You’ll have that.

Like this recipe? Then you’ll also love my Cheesy Tuna Casserole. Grab all my recipes via The Gutsy Girl’s Bible: an approach to healing the gut, 3.0.

Xox,
SKH

Sarah Kay Hoffman

🤰 bloating be gone! weight loss through optimal gut health for women
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