An easy summer dinner that is light, flavorful, and fresh. I’m going with the word “slider” in the title but these are more like bruschetta. I went to Italy, did you know that it’s actually pronounced “brusKetta”? Even though I know this I still call it “bruSHetta” because the waiter would either think I was affected or not very bright.
Anyway – a summer dinner that’s on the table in under 20 minutes? My kind of meal. The artichokes and peppers have been prepped ahead (by the person who put them in their jars) so all you have to do is a quick chop! The best tuna to use (for this recipe) is chunk light, not white, as it’s more Italian style (and also has less mercury because it’s from a smaller, younger fish – this is the tuna I use in general). I love that these don’t have to be baked because they’re a make-ahead app and also quite easy to transport if you want to bring them to someone else’ house.
I used slider rolls because it was what I had on hand, but these would be great on slices from a white or wheat Italian loaf. If serving for dinner, plate with a big ol’ mixed green salad. Lastly – I used balsamic vinegar because it was what I had, but I was jonesin’ for my Trader Joe’s balsamic syrup. It’s sweet and somehow shiny – it’d be the perfect topping for these sliders.
Italian Tuna Sliders with Fresh Mozzarella
Serves 3-4 as main course, 6-8 as appetizer
6 slider rolls, split, or 12 slices Italian bread
2 tbsp. olive oil, salt to taste
6.5 oz. light tuna, drained
Juice from 1/2 a lemon
1 (6.5 oz) jar marinated artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1/3 c. roasted red peppers, chopped
1/4 tsp. garlic salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
8 oz. fresh mozzarella, sliced into rounds
12 whole basil leaves
Balsamic syrup or vinegar
1. Preheat oven to 350. Split slider rolls and place, cut side up, on wire cooling rack set inside a rimmed baking sheet.
2. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Bake in preheated oven for about 10 minutes or unti lightly golden.
3. Meanwhile, mix tuna, artichoke hearts, red peppers, lemon juice, garlic salt and pepper in mixing bowl until combined.
4. Spoon tuna mixture onto cut side of bread. Top with cheese and place one basil leaf on each slider.
5. Plate and drizzle with balsamic syrup or vinegar, to taste. Serve. Can be chilled, covered with plastic, for several hours.
Made these, and they were good, but the bread made them a little heavy. So the next time, I put the tuna on big slices of tomato…and it was perfect! Like a tuna caprese salad! Will definitely be having that again!
Great Idea Leslie! Definitely a lower carb/calorie fix! Thanks so much for your feedback!!
I made this and used a big tomato slice instead of bread…and it was amazing! Like a tuna caprese salad. Definitely making again for a quick and easy lunch!