Tuna Salad Sandwiches Are 10x Better When Paired With This Classic Sharp Cheese

Ah, the tuna salad sandwich. It's a satisfying combination of flaked canned tuna mixed with tangy mayonnaise, celery, and red onions (and, if you're like my mother, cornichons), nestled between two slices of bread. When topped with cheese and griddled to perfection, it turns into a crispy, hearty tuna melt (the origins of which are a bit of a mystery). Either version is a diner staple, filling hungry bellies and bringing great joy across America.

The thing that makes the tuna melt a melt, of course, is the cheese. While many diners and purists believe that cheddar or American are the primary cheeses of choice, there are so many other cheeses deemed worthy of the iconic sando. One that's absolutely worth trying for this classic is sharp Swiss cheese.

We all know the standard Swiss — the firm, pale yellow cheese studded with its distinctive holes has a mild and slightly nutty flavor. Akin to Emmentaler or Jarlsberg cheeses, a young Swiss cheese boasts a softer and milder taste than its sharper sibling. Sharp Swiss undergoes a much longer aging process, typically for 12 months, if not longer; the end result is a more deeply pronounced bold and nutty cheese. A thin slice of sharp Swiss on a tuna salad sandwich — whether served cold or hot, as a melt — cuts through the tangy mayonnaise and the spice of the crunchy red onion, making a perfect addition to the sandwich. That said, sharp Swiss acts a bit differently than the younger version. Here's what to know to make the perfect tuna sandwich with it.

The best way to make your tuna salad sandwich at home is as follows: flake a few cans of tuna into a bowl with a fork, then stir in some diced red onion and celery, mayonnaise, whole grain mustard, and season to taste. Place between two slices of hearty bread, like sourdough or a French boule, and top with thin slices of sharp Swiss cheese. From here, you can eat it cold, or cook it up in a nonstick skillet, cast-iron pan, or panini press to get it all toasty and melty. Additional worthy ingredients include a tomato or avocado slice, or even a handful of potato chips or sliced banana peppers.

A couple of notes on using sharp Swiss as opposed to a younger, or baby, Swiss: cheese both loses moisture and its protein breaks down during the aging process, leaving it with a more dense, firm texture. Because of this, the cheese's meltability changes — a slice of sharp cheese will typically hold its shape when heated. Ergo, for more of a Kraft singles-style melting quality, thinly slice or grate the sharp Swiss, and cook it low and slow in a covered pan for maximum meltability. (I always opt for a combination of butter and olive oil to ensure the sandwich doesn't burn.)

Though sharp Swiss cheese can be found at many grocery stores, specialty cheese shops and online retailers will carry a wider selection to choose from. A tuna melt would also benefit from a smoked sharp Swiss cheese topper for its deep, smokey notes that complement the tanginess. Either way, you may just never want to return to a basic Swiss cheese on your tuna salad sandwich again.