Tuna-Burgers Ii

These tuna burgers are a quick lunch fix that skips the stove entirely. Canned tuna gets mixed with chopped hard-boiled eggs, diced sweet pickles, American cheese, green pepper, celery, pimento, and mayo, then spooned onto buns and microwaved just long enough to melt the cheese.

The hard-boiled eggs add substance and protein that canned tuna alone can’t deliver. The sweet pickles bring a tangy crunch, and the pimento adds a little color and sweetness. It reads like a loaded tuna salad that happens to get heated.

Four minutes in the microwave is all you need. The cheese melts into the tuna mixture, binding everything together into a cohesive, warm filling that stays put on the bun instead of sliding out.

Kitchen Tips

• Drain the tuna well before flaking. Excess liquid makes the filling watery and soaks into the buns.
• Cut the cheese into small pieces so it distributes evenly throughout the mixture instead of clumping in one spot.
• Use buttered buns as the recipe calls for. The butter creates a slight barrier that keeps the bottom bun from getting soggy.
• Serve immediately after microwaving. The buns toughen if they sit too long after heating.

Variations

• Add a squirt of Dijon mustard and a dash of hot sauce to the tuna mixture for more kick.
• Use cheddar instead of American cheese for a sharper flavor.
• Swap the hamburger buns for English muffins for a crunchier base that holds up better to the warm filling.