I was thinking about making some classic tuna melts, you know, that beloved American sandwich/toast with tuna and melted cheese but then I had a change of heart and decided to wrap that same delicious filling in flaky puff pastry instead. And honestly? I have to admit, they turned out absolutely adorable! This is a fantastic variation of the classic American tuna melt, but in a much more portable and, in my opinion, in a way cuter pastry format.
This recipe transforms the familiar comfort of a tuna melt into something special, perfect for picnics, lunch boxes, or when you want to impress guests with minimal effort. The creamy tuna and cheese filling gets all melty inside the crispy, golden pastry shell, creating little pockets of pure comfort food bliss. Instead of being stuck with a regular old sandwich on bread hahahaah, you get these delightful hand-held pastries that are just as satisfying and infinitely more travel-friendly. So lets check the recipe! It’s super easy!
Golden Flaky Cheese & Tuna Melt Pastries
Sometimes changing your plans is the best plan, in this case having my tuna melt inside a pastry, gotta say... brilliant move hehehehe.
Ingredients
- Puff Pastry – 1 Roll (200g)
- Onion – 1 Small
- Garlic – 2 Cloves
- Carrot – 1 Small
- Tuna – 1 Can (+/- 85g drained, natural tuna)
- Gouda Cheese – 120g (Chopped)
- Egg – 1 (For Brushing)
- Mayonnaise – 1 Teaspoon (Heaped)
- Olive Oil – A Dash
- Oregano – A Pinch
- Paprika – A Pinch
- Pepper – A Pinch
- Salt – A Pinch
Directions
- Start by sautéing the finely chopped onion, garlic, and carrot in a frying pan with a drizzle of olive oil. There is no need to caramelize them too much, just cook for a few minutes to soften them, then season with a pinch of salt.
- Preheat the oven to 200ºC (or whatever the puff pastry packaging recommends) and line a baking tray with non-stick paper.
- Drain the tuna and set aside. Grate the Gouda cheese if it is not already grated.
- Remove the sautéed mixture to a bowl, add a little mayonnaise and the tuna, and mix well.
- Then add the grated Gouda cheese and season with oregano, paprika, and pepper and mix again. This should melt a little and create a dough. Taste the dough and add more salt and pepper if necessary.
- Remove the puff pastry from the refrigerator, unroll it, and cut out circles (using a round mold or a glass). Fill each circle with the filling and seal with a fork. Place on a baking sheet to bake.
- Repeat until you have no more puff pastry or filling. Whisk an egg in a small bowl and then brush each pastry generously with the whisked egg.
- Bake in the oven. As the filling is already cooked, you only need to make sure the puff pastry is well baked, golden, and crispy. In my case, it took 22 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and they are ready to serve. I recommend accompanying them with a more acidic sauce such as Greek tzatziki sauce to complement the sweetness of these pastries. Bon appétit!
Invest in a higher-quality puff pastry if possible, it really makes a difference! The better brands create more volume and crispiness, they tend to use butter instead of oil, giving you those beautiful, flaky layers we all love.
If you have fresh herbs like parsley or cilantro on hand, finely chop a little and add to the filling to brighten it up, since the final result tends to be quite rich (cheese, tuna, mayo).
The combination tends to be on the sweeter side, so that acidic sauce suggestion isn’t just fancy, it really helps balance the richness!
You can assemble these earlier in the day and brush with egg just before baking. You can even freeze them and bake later. They’re perfect for meal prep!
Make sure to seal the edges well with a fork to prevent the filling from leaking out during baking, nobody wants sad, empty pastries!
This recipe for Golden Flaky Cheese & Tuna Melt Pastries was originally created on BakeAfter.com. Esta receita de Folhados de Atum com Queijo Derretido foi publicada em português no Iguaria.com.
Nutrition
Per Serving: 150 calories; 10 g fat; 8.8 g carbohydrates; 5.8 g protein.Did you try this recipe?
Let me know how it turned out for you! What do you think of these cheesy delights? Leave a comment below ;D
