14 Different Cheeses To Try On Your Tuna Melt Sandwiches

The lion's share of classic tuna melt recipes call for either American or cheddar cheese, two sometimes indistinguishable orange varieties that admittedly do their jobs well. They melt easily, they complement the flavor of tuna nicely, and they're both inexpensive and accessible. But the food rules are made to be broken, so it's time to introduce some new cheeses to the tuna melt scene.

Now, if you're alive and kickin' today, then there's a good chance you don't remember a time before the tuna melt. Invented sometime in the early to mid-19^th century, hot tuna-and-cheese sandwiches are surprisingly hard to pin down — but all agree it's a great way to upgrade the classic tuna sandwich. Today, though, clever cooks have taken this classic dish and upgraded it in every way they know how: making them bite-sized, swapping in interesting bread choices and even toasting the inside of the bread for extra crunch.

But perhaps the best way to jazz up a tuna melt is to play with the cheese you use. While there's no reason to avoid cheddar in perpetuity, you can get more out of your culinary experience by using a little creativity. To wit: 14 delicious alternatives to enjoy today.

True, cheddar is the cheese often called for in the standard tuna melt, but that doesn't mean it's a bad one to use — especially considering cheddar is basically a food group all on its own. From its age to its color to its origin to the milk used in cheddar cheese, there are so many ways to play with its flavor and texture. However, if you want to mix it up a bit, sharp cheddar is a great way to do it.

Now, a caveat. It's critical when making your tuna melt to use a little fat on the outside of your bread. If your brain goes to butter, who can blame you? But while it's a classic addition to a regular grilled cheese sandwich, butter may not be the best choice for a tuna melt. And, since the tuna salad already has plenty of mayo going on, then fan favorite mayonnaise may be a miss as well. Instead, swipe on some olive oil with a pastry brush or use a spray, and call it good.

"Goat cheese" is a big heading. While you might instantly leap to the classic chèvre, there exist any number of options that would pair well with a tuna melt. Goat cheese is a wide category of cheeses that all have that signature salty tang, which cuts the strong fish flavor. For instance, young white goat's milk cheddar accompanies umami tuna well, while a creamy or crumbly chèvre would go well with sundried tomatoes. You can also get goaty versions of Brie, Havarti, Gouda ... and the list goes on. You can try a goat cheese crumble, or you can stick to a standard goat cheese log. Either will punch up your sandwich with some tart zing to offset the fish and bread.

Because goat cheese is so crumbly, you might want to offer it some extra sturdiness during production. If cooking in a pan, you can use a Cast Iron Grill Press to keep the sandwich flat and in place. (This also works great for bacon.) Or you can put sandwiches into a panini press (like this George Foreman Electric Grill and Panini Press), which will pin them down while grilling from both sides. When you remove the sandwich, use a long spatula for support, such as the MIU Stainless Steel Fish Spatula.

True, this list is supposed to be novel, so why is American cheese on here? How is anything that has earned the dismissive nickname "government cheese" worthy of inclusion? Well, quite simply, American is amazing on a tuna melt — and there are some other good reasons to use it, too. For one thing, it's not pure cheese. Indeed, the reason it melts so well is that it contains additional ingredients (emulsifiers, milk proteins, and whey) that cause it to become gooey without going curdled or leaking grease all over the place. (Seriously, we're already trying to control the oil output with tuna here.)

It's affordable and accessible, too. The slices available at Trader Joe's are reliable favorites, scoring well in categories as wide-ranging as creaminess, cheddar flavor, and edibility at both cold and warm temperatures. Trust that it really is a good option on its own, but if you gotta go crazy, note that it pairs well with provolone.

Another cheese that is both mild but mighty in flavor is Monterey Jack. Despite a deeply unfortunate colonial history that involves missionaries and tycoons stealing land then making and selling cheese on it (yes, there is a guy named Jack involved), today's mild, creamy cheese is a hit on grocery store shelves.

Jack cheese is known for accompanying strong or spicy flavors well, which is why you'll so often find it in Mexican cooking. It can easily stand up to the salty punch of tuna as well as any spices you care to throw in. If you want your cheese to take care of your heat for you, consider pepper Jack instead, a slight twist on the original. You can put it on any tuna melt that calls for cheddar to make it slightly milder and creamier, or you can sub it in for provolone in any recipe that calls for it.

Although people often lump it together with cheddar, this orange cheese has a distinct appearance and flavor all its own. Colby is smoother and milder than cheddar with less tang, a difference that stems at least partly from the fact that young Colby curds are washed after being separated from the whey, while cheddar curds are simply removed and the cheesemaking process continues. The washing stops the cheese from acidifying further, which means it still tastes similar to cheddar, but the overall flavor profile leans sweet. Named for a town in Wisconsin, Colby follows that great state's tradition of improving on all things cheesy ... and all things tuna-y. You can also get it as Colby Jack, a mottled orange-yellow blend that lends mild creaminess and nice coloration to all recipes, not to mention really appealing to the younger set.

If you're looking for an easy change-up, try a tuna salad with celery, red onion, dill, lemon, and Dijon mustard as well as mayonnaise, with toppings of tomato and Colby Jack cheese. Here's a hot tomato tip: If you're the type who likes one on a grilled sandwich, slices that sit on a paper towel sprinkled with salt for several minutes will give up their juices, leaving just the firm flesh behind. This trick lets you say goodbye to Wet Sandwich Syndrome — a real issue with a critical lack of funding. Do your part.

Turns out, mozzarella is stretchy for a reason: it gets repeatedly pulled apart and pushed back together during cheesemaking, which forces all the protein strands in the resulting product to line up in the same direction. Then, when it melts, they pull apart in strings rather than breaking, giving you that famous stretch.

Thus, when it comes to meltiness — a prime requirement of a tuna melt, as it's right there in the name — nothing beats mozzarella. It gives the stringiest of all stringy results, along with a mild and buttery flavor beloved by all. It's like your tuna melt became a pizza, and who wouldn't pizza-fy whatever they could? (No? Just me?)

To make a mild-mannered but uber-stretchy sandwich, you can combine tuna with mayo, chopped sweet onion, and mozzarella, then mix it all up together and slather on French bread halves. Top each half and stick the sandwiches in the oven to cook until hot and melted. Because the flavors in this approach are so mild, it's a great way to get kids to eat tuna melts ... they need that brain food!

Known for its ease of slicing and meltability, this semi-soft Danish cheese has a creamy texture, a mild flavor, and little holes just perfect for allowing other flavors to permeate the cheese layer. Because it's so gentle in nature while still bringing a hint of rich acidity to the table, it can stand up to other, stronger flavors in your sandwich, such as sourdough bread or oil-canned tuna, which has a more pronounced flavor than tuna in water.

Havarti is well-known for its use in sandwiches, so it's no surprise it would be good with a tuna melt as well. Because it has such a distinct and lovely flavor (especially if you buy dill Havarti), you don't have to do much to your sandwich to make it good. Add a few chopped gherkins to your tuna salad, along with some celery and scallions, and a bit of mayo. That, plus some cheese, bread, and a little butter for the outside, and you're good to go.

If you're like most other people in the modern world, you've spent some time thinking about brain health. While tuna is a no-brainer for the brain due to high levels of beneficial nutrients such as Omega-3 fatty acids, B vitamins, and the amino acid taurine, you'd probably be surprised to learn that some kinds of cheese show promising signs of helping the brain as well. Swiss is one of these because it contains conjugated linoleic acid, a compound that can help ward off inflammation. It can also promote mental cognition. All of which is to say, if you're looking to turn cheesy sandwiches into a health food (who isn't?), then Swiss is the excuse you need.

It's a broader category than you might think, too. Swiss is available in a number of varieties that hail from within Switzerland, such as Gruyère or Emmentaler, and beyond its borders. Swiss cheese in general shares a broad flavor profile of mild but still pretty stinky (an impressive combination) that works well with the oily, umami taste of tuna. Interestingly, several "classic tuna melt" recipes use Swiss cheese, so perhaps cheddar isn't so monolithic after all. To bring out the best flavor when using Swiss, try pairing your tuna with ingredients such as red onion, sweet pickle relish, and celery.

Smoked and unsmoked, Gouda is a delicious cheese to add to an open-face or two-sided tuna melt. Its rich, buttery flavor and the slight smokiness of even the non-smoked variety make Gouda a great cheese for our fave fish sandwiches. Originally named for the Dutch town where it was first made, Gouda is a hugely popular cow's milk cheese that is now available pretty much anywhere. In addition to smoked or unsmoked, you can also get young or aged Gouda, from huge wheels to baby ones. The sky's the limit and any variation pairs well with naturally salty, smoky tuna. It's one of the best melting cheeses, too, so you'll always get a reliable result.

To get the most from a Gouda tuna melt, choose other distinct flavors: tuna packed in oil, spring onions, capers, Dijon, and paprika. Use thick slices or a crusty, down-home bread with shredded Gouda to ensure even melting. Broil the lot open-faced for a rustic European sandwich that everyone from your kids to your book club can enjoy.

If you were a fan of Giada de Laurentiis back in the day, then you have and always will pronounce provolone with a nice, big provolo-NAY at the end. This is the proper way to sound cool, so please adjust your approach accordingly. That said, provolone is a great cheese to add to tuna melt sandwiches. Like mozzarella, it is pulled and kneaded during the cheesemaking process, which means it has the same stretchy-melty profile that is ideal for hot sandwiches, and its mild smokiness complements tuna well. This mild yet flavorful profile is a great replacement for cheddar if you don't have it or don't like it.

Provolone also works well in tuna melts to cut and dilute the sharp flavor of cheddar while still allowing it to shine. For instance, some recipes call for a basic tuna salad with whole wheat or sourdough bread, and a combination of cheddar and provolone. Together, the flavors meld into something salty, sweet, oily, and pungent all at once. And remember that provolone and Jack cheese are similar in profile, white and creamy and very meltable, so if you're short of the former, you can use the latter in a pinch.

Although doubtless there are people with greater expertise in this world, there cannot possibly be anyone who loves Muenster more than this writer. Having had it in the Muenster heart of the world — Wisconsin — I can confidently say that there's no better place to get it and no better cheese to put on your tuna melt ... scratch that, all sandwiches. Why? Because it's the lovechild of mozzarella and cheddar in flavor and stretchiness, and there's literally no better combination for flavor and mouthfeel in a grilled sandwich. Prove me wrong.

It's especially great with strongly flavored ingredients because it's so mild and melty. Consider a tuna melt with sriracha mayo, kimchi, and sourdough, all toasted together in a hot pan. Not only do you get your brain food for the day, but you also help your gut. Kimchi has been shown to aid in digestion and strengthen your microbiome — the community of microscopic friendlies that keep your body ticking along. Oh, and it's delicious, so there's that.

Fontina is admittedly polarizing. Some people love it; this writer has heard others describe it as tasting like feet, which one assumes they do not mean as a compliment. However, that's not uncommon for your stinkier brands of cheese. The smell stems from isovaleric acid and is, in fact, a natural byproduct of amino acid breakdown during the cheesemaking process. It's also a compound that just so happens to exist in sweaty feet as well. Charming, no? Seriously, fontina has a nice, strong taste that stands up to the oiliness of tuna, so if you enjoy a good foot flavor, then consider this one.

"Footy" is not its overriding flavor profile, though; fontina flavors range from buttery to nutty to fruity, making it a nice accompaniment to tuna in sandwiches. Plus, it melts exceptionally well (as long as you remember to remove the rind), so it's a wonderful addition to any hot sandwich. If you're gunning for a sandwich with an Italian twist, then fill your tuna salad with ingredients such as Dijon mustard, red wine vinegar, pepperoncini, roasted red peppers, and capers. Choose an Italian bread for your sandwich, then slather with olive oil and garlic, tuna and cheese, and throw the whole lot under the broiler.

Frequently used as condiments because they're so salty, Asiago and Parmesan actually make for a nice change of pace, zhuzhing up tuna melt sandwiches with a hit of buttery salt. Because Parmesan is aged so long (12 months or more), it is not quite as melty as other cheeses, but it makes up for this in piquant flavor. Plus, it's a good choice for those who are sensitive to lactose because its levels are low compared to other cheeses. You can also use Asiago, pecorino, or manchego here.

To Italianize your tuna melt a different way, consider using a homemade olive oil mayonnaise or aioli instead of regular mayo from the jar. Throw in some boiled egg and chopped capers along with a bit of lemon juice when making your tuna salad. Throw plenty of grated Parmesan cheese on top and broil for the perfect open-faced sandwich. Or, if you really need your sammies to have two sides, put everything in between bread, and cook on the stovetop or in a panini press.

What's meltier than Brie? This beloved style of soft-ripened cheese, which is so deliciously meltable that folks often heat it up to serve on its own, makes for a tremendously buttery accompaniment to sandwiches. Plus, like cheddar, it comes in a huge range of flavor profiles, from very mild to quite sharp or stinky. You can cut off the rind if you want the milder, creamier inside, or leave the edible rind on for an extra kick. 

To make a French-style tuna melt, use a baguette for bread and a decent wedge or wheel of Brie. Président Brie and Isigny Sainte-Mère are both good options for affordable cheeses that still melty nicely and accompany tuna well, but truly, there's no end of good Brie in the world. You should feel free to choose your favorite option, whether it's young and light or thickly creamy and aged. Next, throw some olive tapenade into the tuna salad, distribute on the bread, top with sliced tomatoes and Brie, and throw the whole thing under the broiler until done. You won't regret it.