I think I subconsciously invented this dish sometime back in grade school. Remember how they always served tuna with french fries and ketchup? It sounds weird, I know, but somehow it just goes! If you think about it, tuna patties are often mixed with mashed potatoes (along with other veggies), so it’s not that far fetched. And anything smothered in ketchup is a child’s dream dish.
I’ve had my fill of ketchup as a kid, but now I’m all about a different kind of bottled red sauce – sriracha! If you’ve never tried amping up your tuna salad with some heat, you don’t know what you’re missing. I am a spicy tuna girl all the way! I’ve added harissa, schug, sriracha and hot sauce to spice up my tuna – and they all do the perfect job in adding flavor and heat to boring-old tuna and mayo.
Now that you’ve got the baked potato and spicy tuna idea down pat – here comes the cheddar! When it comes to the classic tuna melt, you’re either a tuna melt person or you’re not. Some people are grossed out by the idea of mixing fish and cheese – and I get that. If that’s you – go ahead and leave out the cheese and go pareve on this one. Spicy tuna loaded baked potatoes are still delish.
Although if you ARE a tuna melt kind of person, then get ready to be blown away! I love how such humble ingredients create this dish of pure comfort food. Who says you can’t indulge on the cheap – you sure can!
When I do baked potato night for dinner, I try to mix it up for variation around the table. I’ll do broccoli and cheddar (of course), tuna (with ketchup for the kids, sriracha for me!), baked beans, avocado and salsa, and of course plain ole salt and butter. You can never go wrong with that!
If you want to go all out on the cheese sauce, try making my harissa cheddar sauce to top off some steamed broccoli or baked beans. Can you tell I’m a little obsessed with spicy?
OK, I can go on and on about potatoes, and tuna, and cheese – but lets face it – we’re in The Nine Days, so what else are you making for dinner this week? I’ve got you covered with a Nine Days category, Pinterest board and of course updates on my Facebook and Instagram pages!
So far, I’ve made bruschetta tilapia with basil-almond pesto zoodles (those recipes are in my ebook) and Linguini Lasagna for the kiddies. Tonight it’s gonna be vegetarian chili and cornbread pie. Tomorrow, I plan to tackle tofu for the first time with a marinated Asian tofu with stir fried veggies and rice noodles. Any tips for a tofu novice like me?
I’ll be finishing the week with my tuna nicoise patties, green bean salad and roasted potatoes (also in my ebook) and then onto some meat again for Shabbat (thankfully!). What are you making for dinner this week? I’d love to hear! And please share your favorite baked potato fillings too!
Spicy Tuna Melt Twice Baked Potatoes
2 russet potatoes
2 cans tuna in water
1/4 c mayonnaise
2 heaping tbsp chives
2-3 tsp sriracha (depending on the level of heat you like)
1 cup shredded Natural & Kosher cheddar cheese
Method:
Scrub the potatoes and pat dry. Pierce several times with a fork to allow steam to escape during cooking (this prevents them from exploding in the oven). Rub with olive oil and bake at 400 degrees for approximately 1 hr, until they pierce easily with a fork.
Cut the potatoes in half lengthwise and scoop out the flesh, leaving a thin border so it holds the shape. Add potato flesh, tuna, mayo, sriracha and chives to a bowl and mix to combine. Divide the tuna between the 4 potato halves and top with shredded cheddar. Bake at 400 degrees until cheese is melted. Drizzle with additional sriracha, if desired.
VARIATION: for a kid-friendly version, omit sriracha and use ketchup instead.
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What a great and flavorful recipe!
Delicious! A big hit!
So glad to hear!
I may be the only person in the world who doesn’t like ketchup, but Sriracha — a whole different story and perfect with tuna. Love the idea of tuna melt inside a potato.
how many people does this recipe serve? 2 or 4? Thanks
Four people as a side, or two as a main dish.
What’s a good side dish to serve with this?
Maybe some zucchini soup or a big salad.
Your portabella mushroom tuna melts were a big hit..so going to try this recipe…need to substitute sweet potatoes for russets (have to watch carbs) but I’m sure it will be delicious !
Let me know how it goes!