This very easy and cheap jazzed up tuna melt flat bread sandwich makes for a delicious light meal or lunch for yourself or the family. The bread is made from scratch, but in the easiest way possible with no kneading or proofing. The filling requires no cooking and is simply combining fresh ingredients. This tuna melt flat bread sandwich looks really simple but will deliver on taste and satisfaction!
When I was a kid my mum would pack me fried rice most days for school lunch. Some kids thought I was sooooo lucky and others thought it just smelt bad. All the other kids had peanut butter, Vegemite or devon and tomato sauce sandwiches. I secretly wanted the same so badly since like most kids I just wanted to fit in. Looking back now, I think this is where my love for sandwiches began.
This sandwich is one Steph has made for me a few times from Jamie Oliver’s Save with Jamie book – it’s the Tuna Melt Piadina recipe. She first decided to try it because she was looking out for a cheap recipe, and also because we happened to have most of the ingredients on hand. We didn’t have particularly high expectations, but this ended up being amazing and way easier than expected, considering the bread is made from scratch.
The sandwich itself is exactly what you’d expect from Jamie Oliver. It has great flavour, rustic and messy, and perfect for sharing which is right up my alley.
Tips for Successful a Tuna Melt Flat Bread Sandwich
- This dish is supposed to look rustic, so don’t overthink the consistency or shaping of the dough – just mix it together, divide in half and shape into circles. Keep it simple!
- The filling ingredients are pretty forgiving, so don’t worry if you don’t have all of them on hand, though it would be best to have at least the tuna. You can also substitute for other meat/veg/condiments that need to be used up from your fridge.
- You can either fry the two rounds of bread together, or do them one after another. They are best eaten straight away, so if your pan is not big enough to hold two then you can eat one while waiting for the other to cook.
- You can either serve these as one per person, or do what we do and cut into wedges and place in the middle as a share plate.
- These are great served with hot chips and salad.
Recipe Costing (Australia)
This table shows how much this recipe will cost if you had to go out and buy everything on the ingredients list (“Shop Price”), as well as the value of ingredients actually used in the recipe (“Recipe Cost”).
We haven’t included optional ingredients or small quantities of salt, pepper or sugar as the cost would be negligible. All prices are in Australian dollars and are based off what was published on Coles Online or Woolworths Online as at time of writing.
| Ingredient | Quantity Bought | Shop Price | Recipe Needs | Recipe Costs |
| Red onion | 1 @ $3.00/kg | $0.49 | 1 | $0.49 |
| Apple | 1 | $0.98 | 1 | $0.98 |
| Canned tuna | 1x 185 gm can | $1.60 | 185 gm | $1.60 |
| Cheddar cheese | 250 gm | $4.00 | 30 gm | $0.48 |
| Cream cheese | 250 gm | $2.75 | 2 tbs / 30 gm | $0.33 |
| Self-raising flour | 1 kg | $1.00 | 250 gm | $0.25 |
| Total | $10.82 | $4.13 |
You’ll Also Love…
- Vietnamese Crispy Crepes
- Cheese and Bacon Milk Bread Rolls
- My Ultimate Potato Salad
- Quick Roast Chicken and Kale Salad
- Cheap Lamb Cut Casserole in the Pressure Cooker
Show Us Your Creations!
If you try any of our recipes, Steph and I would love to see your creations! Please share it with us on Instagram using #scruffandsteph and @scruffandsteph! We would also appreciate any likes / shares / follows on our Facebook page, Pinterest and Instagram. Thank you for your support!
Cheap Tuna Melt Flat Bread Sandwich
Ingredients
Basic Flat Bread
- 250 gm self raising flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup water
- 20 ml olive oil
Filling
- 1 red onion finely chopped
- 1 apple finely chopped
- 200 gm tuna drained
- dash white wine vinegar
- 30 gm grated cheddar cheese
- 2 tbsp cream cheese
- pepper, to taste
Optional Extras
- English mustard, spread on the flatbread
- Tabasco sauce, added to the filling
Instructions
Making the Dough
- Combine the flat bread ingredients in a medium-sized bowl, then shape into a ball.
- Separate into two equal portions. Using a rolling pin and your hands, flatten each portion into a circle.
Making the Filling
- Prep the red onion, apple and tuna.
- In a large bowl, combine all ingredients.
- Check the seasoning of your filling and adjust according to your preferences.
Cooking the Flat Bread
- Heat oil in a fry pan over medium heat.
- Fry the bread for 2-3 minutes, brushing oil on the exposed side. Flip, then fry the other side for 2-3 minutes.
- Remove from pan, and carefully run the knife around the edge, slowly working your way towards the centre until you end up with two halves.
- Sandwich the filling between the two rounds of bread.
- Return to the frying pan and cook for another 2 minutes on each side.
- Remove from the pan, cut into wedges and serve straight away.