Salmon Melts

Canned fish like tuna and salmon are excellent sources of nutrition and budget-friendly alternatives to fresh fish. Classics like melts using canned tuna have been around for decades. Packed with generous amounts of seasoned canned fish, the melts are generously topped with cheese and melted to gooey perfection to make a wonderful and easy meal. Our take on the classic tuna melt uses canned salmon instead for a perfectly balanced meal that kids and adults alike are going to love. These easy open-faced sandwiches make a casual lunch or dinner and can be served with a light salad on the side, some crudités, or oven fries for a heartier meal. The filling of the sandwiches can be made ahead of time, up to 2 days, and kept in the refrigerator until it's time to use it. You need just 20 minutes to prep and serve these melts, but if prepping the salmon ahead of time you simply need 5 minutes to assemble and melt the cheese.  

Salmon such as pink and sockeye are commonly available in canned form. Many of the brands come from wild-caught salmon and some others from farmed. Though they're slightly different in price, choose wild-caught when possible as it's a healthier option free of antibiotics and unnecessary preservatives. A 3-ounce serving of drained canned pink salmon, without bones or skin, like you'll be using per person for our recipe, has 124 calories, 22.4 grams of protein, and plenty of key minerals and vitamins, such as selenium, a key mineral that helps with cognition and proper immune system function. This serving size has 30 micrograms of selenium, or close to 55 percent of the recommended daily intake.

Use whole wheat or regular English muffins, and if needed go for the gluten-free type. If you need to keep the recipe egg-free, replace the mayonnaise with vegan mayo or use the same amount of full-fat Greek yogurt or sour cream. Season the salmon mixture to your liking: more or less hot sauce, or perhaps and an extra touch of chili flakes if spicy food is what you like. These melts make great additions to brunch spreads if you don't want to go with the classic egg dishes, and are also a satisfying after-school snack. The filling itself can be used to stuff lettuce cups, mixed with pasta for a cold pasta salad, or used in wraps or any other type of bread you have at hand.