A classic tuna melt is already a great easy high protein lunch option. But this recipe takes it up a level with one simple, high-protein twist: cottage cheese. It makes the filling really creamy without needing to add mayonnaise. Lots of crunch from the added vegetables, this High Protein Tuna Melt is really easy to adapt too. It packs an impressive 43 grams of protein per portion too.
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A mixture of spring onions, jalapeños and sweetcorn, with cottage cheese and tuna. It's then all piled onto toasted sourdough, topped with cheddar, and grilled until the cheese is bubbly and golden.
It's the kind of lunch that feels like comfort food, but still hits your protein goals. Comfort and protein is such a good combo!
Depending on the bread you are using, you're usually looking at roughly 30-45g protein per serving, with most of it coming from tuna, cottage cheese and cheddar. That's great for a 10 minute meal.
Looking for more healthy cottage cheese recipes? Try our creamy Cottage Cheese Hummus, delicious Cottage Cheese Marry Me Chicken or our easy Tomato Soup with Cottage Cheese.
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Ingredients and Substitutions
A full ingredients list, along with US Customary and Metric measurements, can be found in the recipe card at the end of this post.
- Tuna - We use canned tuna in spring water, as I don't want it to be too oily. You could use tuna in oil if you prefer.
- Cottage cheese - The quality of the cottage cheese that you use in a high protein tuna melt really matters. You don't want one that is really runny, otherwise you will have a sloppy mixture. If you don't want to use cottage cheese, then you could use Greek yogurt. You could use both if you want the mixture extra creamy.
- Spring onions and Sweetcorn - Both add a lovely crunch. Diced celery or red onion also work well.
- Jalapeños - This is optional, but I love the kick of heat it gives. You could just add a splash of hot sauce instead.
- Cheddar - Use a mature cheddar, as a little goes a long way.
- Bread - I like using sourdough, as it's really sturdy and holds the filling well.
Variations
BBQ - For a BBQ twist, make a batch of our Healthy BBQ Sauce and then mix it in with the cottage cheese. So good! Swap the jalapeños for chopped gherkins if you do this.
Mediterranean - Skip the sweetcorn and add chopped roasted red peppers, a handful of chopped baby spinach (stirred into the mix), and a little dried oregano. Top with cheddar or a mix of cheddar and mozzarella. Olives would be good instead of the jalapeños too.
Bread swap - This works really well on seeded batch bread, wholemeal toast, a toasted bagel (use our cottage cheese bagels for even high protein) or English muffin too. If you make too much mixture, leftovers are good on a halved baked potato (top and grill like a jacket-spud tuna melt).
How to Make High Protein Tuna Melt
- Step 1: Lightly toast your sourdough slices. This matters as it helps the bread stay crisp underneath once you add the topping.
- Step 2: In a bowl, combine the drained tuna, cottage cheese, spring onions, chopped jalapeños and sweetcorn.
- Step 3: Mash and stir until it's creamy but still a bit textured.
- Step 4: Spoon the tuna mixture over the toast, going right to the edges.
- Step 5: Sprinkle over the grated cheddar.
- Step 6: Place under a hot grill (broiler) for 3-4 minutes until the cheese melts and turns golden brown in spots. Keep an eye on it because it can go from "perfect" to "charcoal" fast.
- Step 7: Let it sit for 60 seconds before biting in. The topping sets slightly, and you avoid molten-cheese mouth.
Meal Prep and Storage
Meal prep - You can prep the tuna-cottage cheese mixture ahead of time and keep it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days.
For best results, store the mixture separately from the bread. Assemble and grill when you're ready to eat so the toast stays crisp.
To reheat a finished tuna melt, the best option is the oven or air fryer for a few minutes until hot throughout and the base re-crisps.
Dannii's Top Tips
- The key is draining everything properly for this cottage cheese tuna melt. If your tuna or sweetcorn is watery, the filling can loosen, and it won't sit as nicely on the toast.
- Toast first, always. It stops sogginess and gives you that proper "melt" contrast: crisp base, creamy topping, gooey cheese.
- To make this even higher in protein, then use a protein sourdough. You can mix some Greek yogurt in with the cottage cheese too.
- Grate your own cheese if you can. Pre-grated cheese often doesn't melt quite as smoothly because of anti-caking agents.
- If your cottage cheese is very wet, tip it into a sieve for a minute before mixing. Some brands are naturally looser than others.
Frequently Asked Questions
Not really. Mixed with tuna and topped with cheddar, it just tastes creamy rather than tangy. If you're sensitive to the flavour, use a smoother cottage cheese and add lemon or black pepper to balance it. You could also blend the cottage cheese first.
Two things help most: toast the bread first and keep the filling thick by draining the tuna and sweetcorn properly. Also, spread the mixture right to the edges so it grips the toast rather than forming one heavy mound in the middle.
More Tuna Recipes
If you've tried this high protein tuna melt recipe, let us know how you got on in the comments below.
Tag us in your creations on Instagram @hungryhealthyhappy - Use the hashtag #hungryhealthyhappy too.
Recipe
High Protein Tuna Melt
Recipe Video
Ingredients
- 4 slice of Sourdough bread
- 200 g (7 oz) of Tuna - canned; drained weight
- 100 g (0.5 cup) of Fat free cottage cheese
- 2 Spring onions (Scallions) - sliced
- 40 g (0.25 cup) of Sweetcorn
- 4 Pickled jalapeños - chopped
- 30 g (1 oz) of Light mature cheddar - grated
Instructions
- Lightly toast 4 slice of Sourdough bread. This matters as it helps the bread stay crisp underneath once you add the topping.
- In a bowl, combine 200 g of Tuna, 100 g of Fat free cottage cheese, 2 Spring onions (Scallions), 4 Pickled jalapeños and 40 g of Sweetcorn.
- Spoon the tuna mixture over the toast, going right to the edges.
- Sprinkle over 30 g of Light mature cheddar.
- Place under a hot grill for 2-4 minutes until the cheese melts and turns golden in spots. Keep an eye on it because it can go from "perfect" to "charcoal" fast.
- Let it sit for 60 seconds before biting in. The topping sets slightly, and you avoid molten-cheese mouth.
Recipe Notes
- The key is draining everything properly for this cottage cheese tuna melt. If your tuna or sweetcorn is watery, the filling can loosen, and it won't sit as nicely on the toast.
- Toast first, always. It stops sogginess and gives you that proper "melt" contrast: crisp base, creamy topping, gooey cheese.
- To make this even higher in protein, then use a protein sourdough. You can mix some Greek yogurt in with the cottage cheese too.
- Grate your own cheese if you can. Pre-grated cheese often doesn't melt quite as smoothly because of anti-caking agents.
- If your cottage cheese is very wet, tip it into a sieve for a minute before mixing. Some brands are naturally looser than others.
Nutritional Information
Where nutritional information is provided, it is approximate and calculated using online tools. Values can vary depending on the ingredients and brands used, but we endeavour to be as accurate as possible.
All timings are a guide and may vary depending on the ingredients, equipment and, where relevant, the appliance used. Changing the serving size may also affect the time needed.
Eddie Sheeran says
Absolutely astronomically delicious.
Kay says
This was amazing! Had trouble sticking to just the 2 slices and it tasted so good.
Question - I had some of the tuna/cottage cheese/veggies left over, is it safe to pop the left overs in a bowl, cover in clingfilm and keep in the fridge to use the next day?
Julia Wallace says
So good!