Quick and Easy Lunch Idea: Tuna Melt Quesadilla Recipe

I love tuna melts.  I was never a true fan of cold tuna salad, but—warm it up, add cheese and grill it with some butter and it was my favorite lunch.  Twenty years and three kids later lead me to lighten up my lunches a little—and heavy, butter-grilled sandwiches are no longer on my daily meal plan!  This quick and easy tuna melt quesadilla gives me the yummy flavors of my favorite tuna melt without a lot of the fat and calories as the original.  
 

Ingredients for a Quick and Easy Tuna Melt Quesadilla

1 Can of Chunk Light Tuna, in water or two 2.4 oz. StarKist Tuna Chunk Light Pouch In Water

1 Large Stalk of Celery, chopped

1 Boiled Egg, chopped

¼ tsp. Ground Black Pepper

1 Tbsp. Red Onion, chopped

5-6 Dill Pickle Slices, chopped  or 1 Tbsp. Dill Pickle, chopped (optional)

1 ½ tbsp. Light Mayonnaise

1 Tbsp. Bacon Bits or Crumbled Bacon (optional)

8-10 Fresh Spinach Leaves, torn with stems removed or Shredded Lettuce (optional)

Sliced or Chopped Fresh Tomato

¼ c. Shredded Cheddar or Monterey Jack Cheese

2 Large Flour Tortillas

Instructions for a Quick and Easy Tuna Melt Quesadilla

Mix up the tuna salad.  In a mixing bowl, combine the tuna, celery, egg, onion, pepper, dill pickle, bacon and mayonnaise.  Mix with a fork to combine.

Build the tuna melt quesadilla.  Preheat a large frying pan or quesadilla maker
until hot.  Add one tortilla round, sprinkle a little of the cheese onto the tortilla to help “glue” it to the tuna filling.  Top with the tuna salad mixture, then sprinkle with the lettuce or spinach, tomato and remaining cheese.  If using a frying pan, heat for three minutes on the first side, carefully flip and cook for an additional 3 minutes or until cheese is melted and quesadilla is lightly browned. 

Cut and serve.  Cut the quesadilla into four pieces (two servings) and serve.  I usually serve with tomato soup or a green salad.