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    Home » Recipes

    Sweet Potato Tuna Melts (Whole30)

    Jan 12, 2023 · Leave a Comment

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    These sweet potato tuna melts are Whole30, paleo, gluten free, and totally delicious. Thin slices of sweet potato replace the bread, and avocado slices give these tuna melts loads of creaminess without the need for cheese. They're the perfect fast and healthy lunch.

    A sheet pan of sweet potato tuna melts topped with hot sauce and avocado slices.

    These sweet potato tuna melts are our go-to lunch (and sometimes dinner!) when we don't know what else to eat. There's always a can of tuna in our pantry, and they're easy to whip up with whatever we happen to have on hand. We have them at least once a week. They're also the perfect Whole30 lunch!

    Looking for other great healthy lunch recipes? Try our rotisserie chicken garden salad, cauliflower fried rice, or one-pot chili.

    Jump to:
    • Key Ingredients
    • Instructions
    • Variations
    • Frequently asked questions
    • Sweet Potato Tuna Melts Recipe

    Key Ingredients

    • Sweet potatoes
    • Canned tuna- we get albacore tuna, usually in bulk at Sam's Club or Costco.
    • Bell peppers- we use red, yellow, or orange. I wouldn't recommend green pepper for this recipe.
    • Pickles
    • Pecans
    • Mayonnaise- for Whole30, make sure you get Whole30-compliant mayonnaise.
    • Dijon mustard
    • Spices: salt, black pepper, paprika, and garlic powder

    See recipe card for amounts.

    Instructions

    Step 1: Preheat your oven to 425°F.

    Step 2: Carefully thinly slice your sweet potatoes. We like ¼th-inch slices. Line them up on a parchment paper lined (or greased) baking sheet, and spray them with avocado oil (or just spread the avocado oil on if you don't have a spray container). Then sprinkle them with salt and black pepper and place in the preheated oven for 10 minutes.

    Sliced sweet potatoes on a sheet pan topped with oil and salt and black pepper.

    Step 3: While the sweet potatoes are cooking, combine tuna, bell pepper, pickles, pecans, mayonnaise, dijon mustard, salt, black pepper, paprika, and garlic powder in a medium mixing bowl.

    Tuna and mayonnaise mixture in a mixing bowl.

    Step 4: After the sweet potatoes have cooked for 10 minutes, remove them from the oven and top each slice with a fairly generous amount of the tuna mixture.

    Sweet potato slices topped with a mayonnaise-based tuna mixture.

    Step 5: Place the sweet potatoes back into the oven for another 10 minutes, or until the tuna mixture is warm and the sweet potato is tender. Serve topped with sliced avocado and hot sauce.

    Sweet potato slices topped with a baked tuna mixture, avocado, and hot sauce.

    Variations

    • Top the tuna melts with tomatoes instead of avocado for a more traditional tuna melt feel.
    • If you're not following a Whole30 diet, top the tuna mixture with shredded cheddar cheese.
    • Swap out the bell peppers for other veggies.
    • Replace the pickles with something else crunchy--celery would be great!
    • Use your favorite nut instead of pecans.
    • Use your favorite kind of canned fish instead of tuna.

    Frequently asked questions

    Can I make these tuna melts ahead of time?

    I'd recommend making the tuna mixture ahead of time, but cutting the sweet potatoes and baking everything when you plan to eat them.

    Can I air fry these tuna melts?

    Yes! Do everything the same, but air fry at 390°F and reduce the total cook time by 5-10 minutes (depending on your air fryer).

    Sweet Potato Tuna Melts Recipe

    Sweet Potato Tuna Melts Recipe

    Recipe by Mollie

    These sweet potato tuna melts are Whole30, paleo, gluten free, and totally delicious. Thin slices of sweet potato replace the bread, and avocado slices give these tuna melts loads of creaminess without the need for cheese. They're the perfect fast and healthy lunch.

    Course: AppetizersCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy
    5 from 1 vote
    Pin
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    Servings

    4

    servings
    Prep time

    10

    minutes
    Cooking time

    20

    minutes
    Calories

    220

    kcal
    Total time

    30

    minutes
    Cook Mode

    Prevent your screen from going dark!

    Ingredients

    • 1 large 1 sweet potato (or 2 small ones)

    • 5 ounces 5 canned tuna (we use albacore)

    • 1 1 red, orange, or yellow bell pepper, diced

    • ½ cup ½ dill pickles, diced

    • ½ cup ½ pecans, chopped

    • ½ cup ½ Whole30- compliant mayonnaise

    • 1 tablespoon 1 dijon mustard

    • ½ teaspoon ½ salt

    • ½ teaspoon ½ black pepper

    • ½ teaspoon ½ paprika

    • ¼ teaspoon ¼ garlic powder

    Directions

    • Preheat your oven to 425°F.
    • Thinly slice your sweet potatoes. We like ¼th-inch slices. Line them up on a parchment paper lined (or greased) baking sheet, and spray them with avocado oil (or just spread the avocado oil on if you don't have a spray container). Then sprinkle them with a dash of salt and black pepper and place in the preheated oven for 10 minutes.
    • While the sweet potatoes are cooking, combine tuna, bell pepper, pickles, pecans, mayonnaise, dijon mustard, salt, black pepper, paprika, and garlic powder in a medium mixing bowl.
    • After the sweet potatoes have cooked for 10 minutes, remove them from the oven and top each slice with a fairly generous amount of the tuna mixture.
    • Place the sweet potatoes back into the oven for another 10 minutes, or until the tuna mixture is warm and the sweet potato is tender. Serve topped with sliced avocado and hot sauce.

    Notes

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    hi, we're Michael and Mollie

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