• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Food Meanderings
  • Start HERE
  • Home
  • About Me
  • Recipes
    • Courses
      • Breakfast and Brunch
        • Pancakes, Waffles & French Toast
        • Breakfast Potluck Ideas
      • Lunch
        • Sandwiches and Burgers
        • Salads
        • Soups, Stew & Chili Recipes
      • Dinner
        • Main dish
        • Pork Recipes
        • Pasta & Pizza Recipes
        • Casseroles
        • Chicken Recipes
        • Beef
        • Beef Recipes
        • Fish & Seafood
      • Desserts
        • Baked Goods
        • Bars and Squares
        • Cake
        • Cookies
        • Cupcakes
        • Frosting and Icing Recipes
        • Frozen Dessert Recipes
        • Healthy Dessert Recipes
        • No Bake Desserts
        • Pie and Pastry Recipes
        • Sweets
    • Cuisine
      • Asian Recipes
      • Italian Recipes
      • Mediterranean Recipes
      • Mexican Recipes
      • Southern Recipes
    • Dish Type
      • Appetizers
        • Dip Recipes
      • Breads
        • Bread Machine Recipes
        • Muffins
      • Side Dishes
        • Vegetables
      • Snacks
      • Sauces, Spreads and Condiments
      • Drinks
        • Smoothies
        • Mocktails
      • One-Pot and One-Pan meals
    • Cooking Style
      • Dinner Party Recipes
      • BBQ & Grilling
      • Healthy Recipes
      • Seasonal Cooking
      • Slow Cooker Recipes
      • Vegetarian
    • Special Diet
      • Gluten-free Recipes
      • Vegan Recipes
      • Vegetarian
      • Weight Watchers Friendly Recipes
    • Holidays
      • Canada Day
      • Christmas Recipes
      • Easter Recipes
      • Earth Day Recipes
      • Father's Day Recipes
      • Cinco de Mayo Recipes
      • 4th of July Recipes
      • Halloween Recipes
      • Mother's Day Recipes
      • New Year's Eve Recipes
      • St. Patrick's Day Recipes
      • Stampede Recipes
      • Thanksgiving Recipes
      • Birthday Recipes
      • Valentine's Day Recipes
      • Game Day Recipes
    • Ingredient
      • Meat
        • Pork
        • Poultry
      • Pasta
      • Beans
      • Potatoes
      • Fruit
      • Rice
      • Egg Recipes
      • Chocolate
  • Meanderings
    • Articles
      • My Weight Watchers (WW) Journey
      • Weight Watchers Tips & Tricks
      • Comfort & Baked Expectations
      • Gingerbread: The Art of Food
  • Navigation Menu: Social Icons

    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Start HERE
  • Recipes
  • Easter Recipes
  • About Me
  • Contact Me
×

Home » Recipes » Dish Type » Main dish » Fish & Seafood

Two Cheese Mexican Tuna Melts

Published: Oct 25, 2017 by Terri Gilson · Modified: Oct 16, 2021 · As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. This post may contain affiliate links · 4 Comments

Sharing is caring!

828 shares
  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Reddit
  • Yummly
  • Mix
Jump to Recipe
Mexican Tuna Melt Recipe | Weight Watchers Friendly - foodmeanderings.com

You don't have to be a big fan of canned tuna to love this healthy Mexican Tuna Melt! This new take on an old favorite pairs Mexican flavors with healthy broccoli slaw, two types of gooey melted cheese and good ol' canned tuna for an easy and quick weeknight dinner. If you are looking for healthy canned tuna recipes this tuna melt is a unique, quick and delicious dinner!

Two Cheese Mexi Tuna Melt

Canned tuna is an excellent meal option for both price and convenience. Yet buying tuna can be completely overwhelming because of the health considerations surrounding mercury content and Omega-3 fats.

Jump to:
  • 💭WHAT TUNA SHOULD YOU BUY?
  • 💭Recommendations (what and how much tuna to safely eat):
  • ⭐ REVIEWS
  • 📋Two Cheese Mexican Tuna Melt Recipe
  • ⭐ REVIEWS
  • 🥘More Canned Tuna Recipes

💭WHAT TUNA SHOULD YOU BUY?

Types of Tuna:

Many people instinctively reach for the lowest price or most familiar brand, but there are other considerations. When you are shopping for tuna, it's important to know that there are two main kinds of canned tuna: chunk light (skipjack) and solid or chunk white (albacore). 

Mercury:

Larger, older fish tend to have more more concentrated levels of mercury than smaller, younger fish. Albacore, or white tuna, (comes in “chunk” and “solid” varieties) are the big fish in the tuna world so albacore has the  highest mercury level of all the canned tunas (and 3x higher than skipjack). Light tuna, or Skipjack, tend to be much smaller fish than albacore, so naturally have less mercury.

Nutrition & Omega-3

Both types are good sources of protein with very little fat, but Albacore tuna has marginally more calories (ie: 109 calories as compared to 99 in a  3-ounce serving in chunk light tuna) ⅔ more fat and slightly more protein. Albacore has more sodium and less selenium, vitamin B-12, niacin and iron.

However, light tuna (or Skipjack), has a lower level of Omega-3s than albacore, but is still a rich source of the most efficiently used Omega-3s, EPA and DHA. Albacore has a lot more healthy omega -3 fats (808 milligrams versus 239 milligrams in chunk light)!

Taste & Texture:

Albacore tuna has a firmer texture, and a milder flavor than the solid or chunk light fish varieties. Skipjack tuna can also be mushier.

Mexican Tuna Melt Recipe - #cannedtuna - Foodmeanderings.com

💭Recommendations (what and how much tuna to safely eat):

(based on EPA guidance and estimates of mercury in the most popular canned tunas)

  • Canned white, or albacore (0.32 parts per million of mercury). Children under six can eat up to one 3-ounce portion a month; children from 6–12, two 4.5-ounce portions a month. Adults, including pregnant women, can safely eat it up to three times a month (women, 6-ounce portions; men, 8-ounce portions).
  • Canned light —  (0.12 parts per million of mercury). Children under six can eat up to three 3-ounce portions per month. Older children and adults can safely eat it once a week. But look out for “gourmet” labels. They are made with bigger yellowfin tuna and can contain mercury levels comparable to canned white (albacore).

Conclusion:

If you are most concerned about mercury content and eat tuna more than a couple times a month,  then you will likely want to stick with SKIPJACK (CANNED LIGHT TUNA). If getting an OMEGA-3 powerhouse meal is your priority and you don't eat tuna that often, then ALBACORE (CANNED WHITE TUNA) may be a good option for you. 

Sustainability is another big can of worms that I didn't have room to open up in this post. So, if that is a concern for you, then I suggest you research it. 

Personally, I like both types of tuna and I don't find much of a difference in the taste or texture (I couldn't pick out which is which in a blind taste test). I have also found the canned light (skipjack) to generally be a little more expensive than the canned white (albacore). Although, not by much (maybe up to $.50 per can). 

Tuna Mexi- Melts | #tunamelts - Foodmeanderings.com

Cheese: if you don't have jack cheese, just use cheddar. I also use low-fat cheddar to lighten it up. You could also use a spicy cheese to add a zip to it.

⭐ REVIEWS

Did you make this recipe? Please RATE THE RECIPE below!

Please SUBSCRIBE  (get my FREE E-cookbook) and be sure to FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, TWITTER, INSTAGRAM and PINTEREST!

Mexican Tuna Melt on a white plate with a dish of salsa in a small white bowl
Food Meandering Logo

📋Two Cheese Mexican Tuna Melt Recipe

This Mexican Tuna Melt is a new take on an old favorite, pairing Mexican flavors with healthy broccoli slaw, two types of gooey melted cheese and canned tuna for an easy, healthy and quick tuna melt meal. Weight Watchers friendly @ only 6 WW points on blue per serving. If you are looking for canned tuna recipes, this unique, quick and delicious recipe is for you!
Print Pin Rate
Course: entree, main
Cuisine: Mexican
Keyword: canned tuna recipe, mexican, tuna melt
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 185kcal
Author: Terri Gilson
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Prevent your screen from going dark

Ingredients

  • ½ 340g/12oz bag broccoli coleslaw see NOTES for using remaining ½ bag
  • ½ cup sharp/old cheddar cheese light or regular
  • ½ cup Monterey Jack cheese
  • 1 170g can tuna
  • ¼ cup mayonnaise
  • ½ teaspoon crushed or pureed garlic
  • ½ teaspoon agave syrup
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoon fresh lime juice can substitute concentrated
  • 1 tablespoon fresh cilantro finely chopped
  • 1 tablespoon jalapenos I use tamed jalapenos, chopped
  • 3 taco shells crushed
  • ⅓ cup canned, sliced black olives
  • ¼ cup chopped green onion
  • 4 tablespoon salsa
  • 4 pieces of rye bread

Garnish: additional salsa and sour cream

    Instructions

    • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray 9X13 cookie sheet with non-stick cooking spray
    • In a small bowl, mix garlic, lime juice,mayo and agave together with a whisk.
    • Mix tuna, broccoli slaw, green onion, jalapenos, cilantro, black olives and salt together in a large, separate bowl.
    • Pour mayonnaise mixture over broccoli coleslaw/tuna mixture and mix well.
    • Toast bread (to prevent sogginess)
    • Top toast with about ⅓ - ½ cup broccoli/tuna mixture (however much you can fit on)
    • Soften taco shells in microwave for 20 seconds then crush. Spread crushed shells over tuna melts, dividing shells between all 4 melts
    • Spread 1 tablespoon of salsa on each melt over crushed taco shells.
    • Top with both cheeses, dividing between all 4 melts,
    • Melt in oven for 8 minutes, then turn up to broil for about 2 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and starting to brown. * If it's really hot, melt the cheese in the microwave for 3-4 minutes.
    • Top with additional salsa and sour cream as garnish, if desired.

    Notes

    📖 Variations
    Cheese: if you don't have jack cheese, just use cheddar. I also use low-fat cheddar to lighten it up. You could also use a spicy cheese to add a zip to it.
    Bread: you can use buns or any type of bread
    Coleslaw: you can use regular coleslaw instead of broccoli slaw
    Microwave it! (when it's really hot): During the summer I skip the oven and simply make these using the toaster and microwave. Depending on your microwave, wattage, you'll need to microwave these for 2-4 minutes, approximately. If you are using low-fat cheddar, as I do, it takes longer to melt than regular cheddar.
    💭 Top tips
    Toast the bread before you put the mixture on it and before it goes in the oven. This prevents it from getting soggy.
    Leftover Broccoli Slaw: You will have a ½ bag of broccoli slaw left, so why not try my Ukrainian Shortcut Borscht for a quick and easy weeknight meal?
    Ukrainian Borscht soup recipe | foodmeanderings.com
    My Amazon Recommendations (affiliate links)

    ⭐ REVIEWS

    Did you make this recipe? Please RATE THE RECIPE below!
    Please SUBSCRIBE  (get my FREE E-cookbook) and be sure to FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, TWITTER, INSTAGRAM and PINTEREST!
    Nutrition Facts
    📋Two Cheese Mexican Tuna Melt Recipe
    Amount Per Serving (1 tuna melt)
    Calories 185 Calories from Fat 108
    % Daily Value*
    Fat 12g18%
    Saturated Fat 4g25%
    Cholesterol 17mg6%
    Sodium 889mg39%
    Potassium 119mg3%
    Carbohydrates 11g4%
    Fiber 1g4%
    Sugar 2g2%
    Protein 8g16%
    Vitamin A 370IU7%
    Vitamin C 8.3mg10%
    Calcium 188mg19%
    Iron 0.5mg3%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1tuna melt | Calories: 185kcal (9%) | Carbohydrates: 11g (4%) | Protein: 8g (16%) | Fat: 12g (18%) | Saturated Fat: 4g (25%) | Cholesterol: 17mg (6%) | Sodium: 889mg (39%) | Potassium: 119mg (3%) | Fiber: 1g (4%) | Sugar: 2g (2%) | Vitamin A: 370IU (7%) | Vitamin C: 8.3mg (10%) | Calcium: 188mg (19%) | Iron: 0.5mg (3%)
    Did you make this recipe? Please leave a star rating and review below!
    Rate this Recipe

    🥘More Canned Tuna Recipes

    • Easy Tuna Casserole (with macaroni)
    • Tuna Stuffed Tomatoes
    • Open- faced Tuna Melts (no mayo)
    • Macaroni Salad with Tuna

    More Fish & Seafood

    • white casserole dish of tuna macaroni casserole being held up on a wooden spoon with blue patterned oven mitt in the background
      Easy Tuna Casserole (with macaroni)
    • Open faced tuna melts on parchment paper covered baking sheet
      Open Faced Tuna Melts (no mayo)
    • homemade California rolls with sriracha mayonnaise
      Homemade California Rolls (Sushi)
    • cooked Frozen salmon fillets on sheet pan with soya sauce, cilantro and sesame seeds
      Sheet Pan Salmon

    Reader Interactions

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    I'm Terri, a passionate home cook and baker, an award-winning recipe developer and a busy working mom that is trying to eat healthy and fit everything into not enough hours in a day! My mission is to share not only my recipes, cooking hacks and tips with you, but also my secrets to successful weight maintenance.

    More about me →

    Easter Recipes

    • a piece of lemon pie being lifted out of a whole pie, with a lemon cut in half in background
      Old Fashioned Lemon Pie
    • collage of 4 photos of healthy leftover ham recipes with black text on white circle in the middle.
      35 Healthy Leftover Ham Recipes
    • collage of 4 photos of Easter brunch recipes with text in the middle
      Easter Brunch Menu Ideas
    • a slice of daffodil cake on a white plate with lattice trim and a blue material background
      Daffodil Cake

    More Easter Recipes --->

    Footer

    Featured On:

    Taste Of Home Logo Parade Logo MSN Logo Master Chef Canada Logo Huffpost Logo Good Housekeeping Logo

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy & Terms of Use
    • Accessibility Policy

    Subscribe

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Contact
    • Work with me

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2023 Foodmeanderings.com

    828 shares