My husband really likes sandwiches. I use the term “sandwich” pretty loosely – basically if it comes somehow wrapped, folded, layered or sandwiched between some sort of “bread” he will probably like it.
We eat a lot of tuna in our house. Don’t worry we’re not at risk of mercury poising or anything, we don’t eat that much tuna, but we do like it and eat it several times a month. My tuna patties are delicious on their own or as my husband prefers made into a truly terrific tuna sandwich!
This recipe will work with any tuna canned in water. I prefer to use Wild Planet, found at Costco, which you should not drain – that water is full of nutrients! If you use a conventional canned tuna, make sure to drain the excess water.
Necessities:
4 cans of tuna canned in water
3/4 cups old fashioned oats – pulsed in food processor into a coarse oat flour. If using conventional tuna reduce to 1/2 cup
1/4 cup finely chopped shallots
1/2 cup mayonnaise (I generally use homemade, but a store bought brand with the fewest ingredients will work to keep the recipe as clean as possible)
2 eggs
Zest and juice of 1/2 lemon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon paprika
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1 tablespoon olive oil (or other cooking oil)
Method:
If using conventional tuna drain the excess water and add to a large mixing bowl and break up with fork. If using wild caught tuna, do not drain the water – as mentioned above, it is full of nutrients! Next, finely mice 1 medium shallot; if you don’t know what a shallot is, not a big deal, it is basically like a small mild red onion. If you can’t find one, just use a small red onion. You will need about 1/4 cup finely minced, you can even pop it in your food processor. Here’s the shallot I used.
To your large mixing bowl, add the shallot and all of the remaining ingredients except the olive oil and get to mixing. Try not to overwork the mixture. You can mix this up to 4 hours ahead of time. So if you’re lucky and you 1. have kids and 2. said kids nap or are occupied, you can whip this up in the afternoon and come 5 o’clock you’ll be ready to make dinner in under 20 minutes!
When you’re ready to make your patties, preheat your oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Next, heat a large non stick skillet over medium high heat and add in 1/2 tablespoon olive oil or other cooking oil of your choice. Place 4 patties in the hot skillet and cook for 2-3 minutes on each side and then transfer to the prepared baking sheet.
Repeat with remaining 1/2 tablespoon of oil and remaining 4 patties. Place the baking sheet in the oven for 10 minutes. I use a large ice cream scoop to portion this recipe into 8 patties. You are free to make yours as large or as small as you’d like, but my cooking times are for 3.5-4 oz patties.
My husband likes his served simply on a whole wheat bun with chopped lettuce and tartar sauce. I like to melt sharp cheddar on mine and top it with chopped cabbage and spinach. I also like to eat them alone for a quick protein snack or on top of a crisp salad with lots of veggies. Leftovers keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days but the patties can also be individually frozen.
Now that I think of it….this could be a fun “burger” night! Everyone can make their own tuna burger and top theirs with different cheeses, veggies, and sauces! The patty itself is gluten free, so if you need to keep your meal GF just make sure to use a GF bun or bread.
Happy cooking! Check back next week for my Stuffed Pepper Soup Recipe. 🙂