By Grocery List Plus Editorial Staff | Published on June 9, 2026
Serves 3
424 cal · 63 min
Pan Bagnat Tuna Fish Sandwiches
Recipe GLPR959f94c6dd0a04
A classic Mediterranean-inspired tuna sandwich featuring fresh albacore tuna mixed with bright lemon zest and roasted garlic, layered with crisp lettuce, ripe tomato, briny olives, and tapenade on a toasted kaiser roll. This pressed sandwich is perfect for a light lunch or picnic.
Save recipes you love
Create a free Grocery List Plus account to save recipes, rate them, and add every ingredient to your grocery list in one tap.
Ingredients
3 Kaiser rolls
1 Lemon, zest and juice
2½ tablespoons Mayonnaise
2 cloves Garlic cloves, whole and peeled
1 clove Garlic clove, grated
12 ounces Solid white albacore tuna, drained
to taste Fine sea salt
to taste Freshly cracked black pepper
2 tablespoons Store-bought tapenade
3 leaves Green leaf or romaine lettuce
3 slices Beefsteak tomato, sliced
3 Pitted French oil-cured black olives
Directions
Slice each kaiser roll in half horizontally. Lightly toast the rolls cut-side up under a broiler or in a toaster oven for 1–2 minutes until lightly golden.
In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise with the grated garlic, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Mix until smooth and well combined.
Drain the tuna cans thoroughly and transfer the tuna to a medium bowl. Using a fork, gently break up the tuna into bite-sized flakes without overmixing.
Fold the garlic-lemon mayonnaise into the flaked tuna until just combined. Season with fine sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste.
Rub the inside surface of each toasted roll bottom with one whole peeled garlic clove, using gentle pressure to impart garlic flavor.
Spread ½ tablespoon of tapenade on the garlic-rubbed bottom of each roll.
Layer one lettuce leaf and one tomato slice on each roll bottom.
Divide the tuna mixture evenly among the three sandwiches, spreading it over the tomato.
Top each sandwich with one black olive, then place the toasted roll top on each sandwich.
Wrap each sandwich tightly in parchment paper or foil, pressing gently to compact the ingredients. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes (or up to 2 hours) to allow the flavors to meld and the sandwich to firm up before serving.
Comments
Pan bagnat is worth making, but the 63-minute timer is misleading—you're really looking at 10 minutes of work plus 45 to 60 minutes sitting wrapped so the bread absorbs the flavors, which means committing to eating at that specific time or a soggy sandwich by morning. Albacore tuna, kaiser rolls, and all other ingredients land easily at Harris Teeter, Food Lion, Publix, Walmart, ALDI, or Kroger. At roughly $3.50 per serving (driven by decent-quality tuna and olives), this is a solid weeknight lunch for one or two people, though the three-serving yield means partial cans or jars left over. It does not reheat—this is a same-day, fresh-eating dish, and best consumed within a few hours of assembly.
Sign in or create a free account to add your review.
