Cheesy Tuna Sandwich Spread

Though the Catholic Church only requires 14 years old and older to abstain from meat on Ash Wednesday, on all Fridays of Lent, and on Good Friday, my parents let me and my brother join the fun even when we were below 14. I really don't remember my exact age when I started doing seafood and veggie Fridays during Lent. All I remember is that my mom was very strict about it. There were even times when she made us abstain from meat for the whole period of Lent which means 40 days straight. But my brother and I have always loved seafood and veggies so it wasn't like a big torture for us. We were actually fine with that. 

It's very much the same with my daughters now. They love seafood and (some) vegetables so Ryan and I don't even have to force them to abstain from beef, pork and poultry. They've learned from church about the importance of this Catholic tradition and though they know that they are not yet required to observe it, they are very willing to. They are actually the ones who remind me that it's Friday so I will have to pack meat-free lunch for them.

Most of the time, my daughters prefer to eat sandwiches and fruits for lunch in school, and this Cheesy Tuna Sandwich Spread that I am sharing with you today is one of their favorite fillings. Like the Salmon Sandwich Spread that I have featured last year, this is not any ordinary fish sandwich spread.  It's very flavorful and it has cheese!!! Clarise and Cherlin love how cheesy and healthy this is...and they find eating it in sandwich rolls so much fun! I'm sure you'll love it too.

Ingredients:
Makes about 4 cups spread

• 2 cans solid tuna in olive oil
• ½ cup carrots, finely chopped
• ½ cup celery, finely chopped
• 1/8 cup yellow onion, finely chopped
• 1/8 cup garlic chives, finely chopped
• 1 Tbsp Jalapeño, seeds removed and finely chopped
• ¾ cup mayonnaise
• ½ cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese
• ½ cup finely shredded cheddar cheese
• ¼ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp black pepper
• ½ Tbsp sugar, optional 

Procedure: 

1. Empty the cans of tuna (including the olive oil) in a bowl. Using a fork or spoon, flake the tuna. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well. 

Enjoy it either in a sandwich like this...

or in sandwich rolls (or sandwich sushi as Cherlin calls it) like these...

To make the sandwich:

1. Toast two slices of any bread of your choice for about 3-4 minutes at 350F. (Toasting the bread will prevent the bread from being soggy after you put the spread.)

2. Apply tuna spread on both slices of bread. Garnish with green leafy lettuce and tomatoes in the middle (optional).

To make the sandwich rolls:

1. Place a slice of bread on a flat surface and use a rolling pin to flatten it. You may remove the crust if you want. 

 2. Apply tuna spread on the bread, leaving about ½ inch space on all sides. Put a lettuce leaf on top of the spread. Apply another layer of spread on the lettuce. Roll up the bread tightly to enclose the filling. 

3. Cut roll crosswise into 4 slices.

Note: Transfer left-over spread in a tightly covered container and store in refrigerator. It will taste fresh up to 1 week.

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