13 Feb 11
Good morning everyone and Happy Sunday!!! It is going to be a beautiful day here in North Texas!!!! Today's forecast will be a sunny 65 degrees.
I'm hoping to fire up the grill and make some Honey Soy Grilled Chicken Thighs. I planned on making Beer in the Rear Chicken, but forgot to thaw out a whole chicken.
Today is defiantly grilling weather, so I can't wait. It's Sunday, so let's get started on today's Potluck Sunday post.
When I was growing up my mother always made Tuna Salad Sandwiches the same way every time. Her recipe consisted of tuna, mayonnaise, boiled eggs, onions, pickles, salt and pepper. That's really the only way I remember eating it.
Now that I have grown up I prepare tuna salad the same way as my mother did. When my husband I were first married one day I was watching him make a tuna sandwich.
For the life of me I could not figure out what he was doing. So I asked, who taught you how to make tuna salad?
He said this is how my Mamaw makes tuna sandwiches and that's how I grew up eating them. I looked at this man like he was from outer space. I said with shredded apples? He said don't knock it until you try it. Of course I am always up for trying something new, so I gave it a try. All I can say is WOW was I impressed the apple really did make the tuna sandwich. It added the perfect amount of sweetness to the mix.
Who would have of known? Don't get me wrong I still love the way my mama makes tuna salad sandwiches, but I also love the way my husband's Mamaw makes hers as well.
If you have a favorite tuna salad recipe don't push this apple version aside because you will be pleasant surprised.
Ma maws Tuna Salad for Sandwiches
Ingredients:
1 (5 ounce) can tuna, drained and flaked
1 - small to medium skinless granny smith apple, shredded
5 - 6 - tablespoons mayonnaise or your own personal amount (not miracle whip)
2 - tablespoons pickle relish
salt & pepper, to taste
your favorite bread, croissants or crackers
Directions:
In a medium sized bowl, lightly stir together the tuna, mayonnaise, shredded apple and pickle relish.
Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve on bread lined with lettuce, croissants or spread on crackers.
30 comments
30 comments
Cindy said…
I really love adding chopped grapes to tuna salad, so I can imagine them being yummy with apple as well. Thanks for hosting!
Feb 13, 2011, 10:29:00 AM
Libby@CookingWithLibby said…
I tried linking up my Buckeye Bars, but I don't see the thumbnail :( I'll keep checking throughout the day. We make our tuna sandwiches the way your mama does. I wish I could add the apples in them but I'm allergic to them :( I can't eat them raw...they have to be cooked or baked :(
Feb 13, 2011, 10:50:00 AM
Lynn said…
For my ask the readers question yesterday I asked about how my readers eat tuna sandwiches. My husband grew up eating them with the boiled eggs in them, and I have always found that strange. I grew up eating them pretty basic, with just a little mayo and maybe pickle or relish mixed in. Several people in the comments of my post mention fruit in their tuna and how good it is. So, I might have to try your version with the apples added in. It is very interesting how many different ways people eat a tuna sandwich.
Feb 13, 2011, 10:56:00 AM
Patty Sumner said…
I love tuna salad. I usually eat mine on toast but the bread looks yummy.....blessings!
Feb 13, 2011, 12:24:00 PM
Unknown said…
I am a huge fun of a GOOD tuna sandwich -- this looks GREAT :)
Blessings!
Gail
Megan Bennett said…
You know I make it with apples as well because my Mom did and her Mom and on and on. Everyone who ever eats my tuna always comments on the apples and when I say that that's how my Mom always made it they say that it must be a yankee things (as my Moms from New York). It interesting to see another southerner making it like this. I do agree though, that something about the apple in just "makes it".
Feb 13, 2011, 1:00:00 PM
Anonymous said…
Back in the sixties, there was a newspaper columnist, Heloise, who gave household hints. She also wrote a few books and one of them, 1962's Heloise's Housekeeping Hints has that hint to add grated apple to tuna. The first I'd heard of it.
I have a theory about some of the use of eggs in tuna salad. I grew up on a farm where eggs were plentiful and tuna had to be "store-bought" and was relatively expensive. My mother put eggs in the tuna salad to stretch it. I wonder if others might have done that, too. And I still love eggs in my tuna salad.
Nan
Feb 13, 2011, 3:28:00 PM
Andrea (Andreas Kitchen) said…
Happy Sunday Tina!
The grated apple in your tuna salad sounds good! My Mom always made tuna salad pretty straight- mayo, pickle relish and celery for a nice crunch.
This week I am sharing one of the 2 Chocolate Cut-Out Cookie recipes that I posted a couple of days ago. The recipes are a little different and nobody agreed which they liked best, so I posted them both! The recipes are gluten free, but can be made using "regular" flour if you don't have an issue with gluten.
Thanks for hosting!
Feb 13, 2011, 5:05:00 PM
Heidi said…
Today my kids and I are making a double batch of People Puppy Chow to package and give to their teachers for Valentine's Day. Thanks for hosting!
Feb 13, 2011, 5:40:00 PM
Carla and Michael said…
I'm from the south so it has always been eggs for me. Never have liked the grapes in tuna, so I don't think I'd like the apple. Sorry.
PS-I don't see the linky thingy now. How did anyone link up as of yet?
Feb 13, 2011, 5:40:00 PM
Nikki said…
I'm not a big fan of tuna, but I probably could eat it as a salad sandwich like in this recipe. Looks delicious!
Feb 14, 2011, 10:40:00 AM
Tammy said…
thanks for the yummy recipe...you have a great blog, I really enjoy it
Feb 14, 2011, 11:13:00 AM
kristinmh said…
We made it as MawMaw did but also with 2 boiled eggs, diced, a squirt of mustard, and the apples are always Granny Smith. I haven't had a good tuna salad sandwich in FOREVER -- thanks to your post, I'll be adding that to my menu this week. :)
btw, we are 5th generation Texans but my grandmother may have gotten the idea of apples from Heloise, too
Feb 14, 2011, 12:10:00 PM
Jenna @ Newlyweds said…
My grandmother uses apples too, good, but I prefer eggs, and a bit of a kick, and and I've got to have my Miracle whip, lol!
Feb 15, 2011, 5:49:00 PM
Anonymous said…
Mom was also a "depression" housewife, in addition to apples, grapes,and boiled eggs, she added crushed saltine crackers (about 30 for large can of tuna.
May 11, 2011, 3:16:00 PM
Anonymous said…
My mother always added chopped pecans to her apple and tuna sandwiches. It is so good. I still do it today.
Jun 3, 2014, 2:29:00 PM
Anonymous said…
We had to make things stretch, so my mother use to break up a piece of bread and add it to the tuna. She did not use the crust but saved it to add toward her homemade breadcrumbs. It was during the depression. She never wasted anything.
Nov 1, 2014, 5:48:00 AM
Anonymous said…
I am from Louisiana. My Grandmother and Mother added mayonnaise, boiled egg(s), apple and raisins when making tuna salad. And they always used white bread with a little more mayonnaise spread on it.
Aug 18, 2015, 3:26:00 PM
Unknown said…
I love tuna salad. I'm from the Deep South, Louisiana. We always put boiled eggs in mine when I was growing up. I've eaten it with grapes but never apple. I will be trying this.
Apr 4, 2016, 3:00:00 PM
Unknown said…
Oh yeah, I forgot to add that my boyfriend puts coleslaw in his. Surprisingly good.
Apr 4, 2016, 3:01:00 PM
Anonymous said…
I used to always make my tuna with apple, but about 20 years ago I came across a tuna salad recipe that our whole family is pretty fond of. Try adding celery, grated lemon rind, horseradish and mayonnaise to tuna - pretty tasty.
Oct 15, 2016, 6:37:00 PM
Terri O said…
No fruits in sakads! I use a little of mustard in tuna salad and horseradish in ham salad.
Sep 18, 2017, 5:25:00 PM
Terri O said…
No fruits in sakads! I use a little of mustard in tuna salad and horseradish in ham salad.
Sep 18, 2017, 5:25:00 PM
Anonymous said…
I grew up having tuna salad which was made pretty basically....tuna, t mayo, diced onion, diced celery, salt & pepper. Sometimes, mom would add in a small diced sweet gherkin. We still like it that way, but next time I'll try adding in some apple, and perhaps a few red grapes. It would be soo tasty served on croissants, with a leaf of butter lettuce.
Feb 23, 2018, 11:32:00 AM
Anonymous said…
This is almost my Mother's Tuna Salad recipe and I love it. The only thing different in Mother's recipe is that she used Gala or Delicious Apples chopped with the skin left for color and chopped pickles (both dill and small diced sweet gherkin) to taste plus sometimes grape halves and a little chopped fresh parsley also for color. Miracle Whip was always used with salt and pepper to taste. At times, she would add chopped hard boiled eggs. The Tuna Salad was served in large croissants, lettuce leaves and even between two slices of any type of bread.
Thanks so much for posting your recipe. It brings so many good memories from my childhood.
Feb 24, 2018, 7:01:00 PM
Anonymous said…
What is the best way to shred apples for this recipe?
Mar 9, 2018, 8:33:00 AM
Unknown said…
Grapes sure sound exciting in salads. Thanks for opening up a world of salads just out of Tuna :)
Jan 3, 2019, 8:57:00 PM
Unknown said…
What might taste better for a start - boiled, fried, scrambled, omlet or raw?
Jan 3, 2019, 9:01:00 PM
