Favorite Quick Lunch Ideas

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Bella Portofino Tuna. All opinions are my own.

On a typical weekday, we usually get back to the apartment just in time to feed the kids a small lunch and tuck them into bed for naps. It leaves me with a quiet house and a long to-do list around noon. My daily struggle is whether to spend time listening to an audiobook while I make and eat lunch, or grab a granola bar and jump straight into what I need to get done.

I find when I do the latter, I end up hangry or unproductive and eating all the kids snacks about 2pm. So this is me committing to more real lunches, even if it means one less load of laundry gets done.

For those of you also struggling to reach for a box of cereal less often at lunch time, I’m sharing my oldest to-go meal.

My mom taught me to mix up tuna when I was about seven and wanted a more substantial snack when I got home from school.

To update the old classic though, I added some creamy havarti cheese, yummy pumpernickel bread, and smooth Yellowfin tuna packed in olive oil.

Have you tried Bella Portofino Tuna before? The wild-caught Yellowfin tuna (they also have Albacore tuna) is hand-selected and packed in extra virgin olive oil (with a touch of sea salt) which makes if smooth + tender and an easy upgrade to your favorite way to eat tuna.

Plus, the packaging is beautiful. And May is Mediterranean Diet Month, so there’s no better time to add this quick and easy recipe to your rotation.

On a day-to-day basis, I just use whatever bread and cheese we have lying around so pepper jack is a regular for this one! If I’m using our regular sandwich bread, I always toast it before I add the tuna and before putting it in the oven.

What you’ll need:

1 can Bella Portofino Tuna
1 tablespoon mayo
1 tablespoon sweet relish
1 slice pumpernickel (or other) bread
1 slice havarti (or pepper jack!) cheese
salt and pepper for seasoning

What you’ll do:

Combine mayo, relish, and shredded tuna in a bowl.
Spread on slice of pumpernickel bread.
Top with havarti or pepper jack cheese.
Place in oven on broil until cheese has melted and the edged of the bread are getting crispy.
Serve warm.

Want to jazz up your tuna melt? Here are a few fun and delicious options!

Tuna Melt Upgrades:

Add your favorite guacamole to your slice of bread before layering on the tuna.
Add thinly sliced tomatoes to your sandwich (between the tuna and the bread before broiling).
Experiment with different cheeses.
Substitute ranch or another favorite dressing for the mayo.
Swap out the bread your tuna melt is on (think olive bread, artisan cheese bread, whole wheat garlic loaf, etc).

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Bella Portofino Tuna.