Chickpea Salad Melts (Vegetarian Tuna Melts)

Step 1

Start by making your chickpea salad.  Add your rinsed and drained chickpeas to a medium sized bowl and use a fork to mash them.  I leave a few of them whole, but prefer the texture when most of them are mashed.

Step 2

Next, add in all the celery, pickles, onion, dill, lemon juice, dijon, and mayo and mix everything together well, until the mayo is completely incorporated with all the other ingredients.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Step 3

Heat a large pan over medium-low heat.  You can either cook them with cooking spray or butter.  I like to butter one side of a slice of the bread, lay it butter side down on a cutting board, top with cheese slices and then top with a couple of spoonfuls of the chickpea salad.  You can make them as small or as large as you like.

Step 4

Add the remaining slice of bread to the top and gently butter the top of that slice.  Add chickpea melts to the pan, I like to do cheese side down so it melts more quickly.  You can also place the lid on top of the pan for a minute or two to help the cheese melt.  Cook each side for about 3-5 minutes, until cheese is melted and bread is golden brown.

Step 5

Let cool for a minute or two, slice in half and enjoy!  These are great served with a side of chips, fries, veggies or a salad.