Give Canned Tuna Salad A Savory Crunch Using This Popular Kids' Snack

Canned tuna salad is a classic lunchtime staple, for sandwiches, or served over a bed of fresh lettuce for a light midday meal. While traditional recipes call for a can of tuna, mayonnaise, chopped celery, onion and maybe some mustard, lemon, and black pepper, there are a variety of ways you can "jazz up" your tuna salad. Some people add capers or olives for an extra salty tang, while others blend salt and sweet with the addition of chopped green apples. But if you're looking for a rich, savory crunch in your tuna salad, you might find it in an unlikely place—Cheez-It crackers!

That's right, the square orange crackers you may remember from your elementary school lunchbox can be the hero addition to your tuna salad. The rich, savory cheese, paired with light, salty tuna, combine for a winning flavor combination. Beyond that, the crunch from crushed Cheez-Its adds another layer of texture to tuna salad, in much the same way chopped green apples would, but without the controversial salty-sweet pairing. Cheez-It tuna salad is great in a sandwich, but the added carbs from the crackers also mean it can be thoroughly satisfying all on its own.

If you've enjoyed your Cheez-It tuna salad, you won't need any convincing that tuna and cheese are two great tastes that taste great together. Luckily, there's more than one recipe that combines the two for you to enjoy. For instance, tuna brandade topped with cheesy Goldfish crackers is a fun mix of an elegant emulsion and a nostalgic favorite, with the added thematic fun of fish-shaped crackers topping a fish dish.

The ultimate tuna and cheese pairing, though, might just have to be the tuna melt. This is an old-school diner sandwich, crispy and crunchy and smooth and creamy all at once. Basically, imagine if a tuna salad sandwich and a grilled cheese had a baby, and you'll see why this sandwich has a passionate following, including none other than Ina Garten. While cheddar cheese is the classic for tuna melts, havarti and fontina just might be even better, so get to melting and find your favorite.