The Canned Swap You Need When Tuna Salad Sandwiches Are Getting Old

A tuna salad sandwich is a classic delight for lunch or dinner for most of us. Even for those who ate a few too many at cafeteria lunches during childhood, it's still a comforting and easy-to-make solution for a quick meal. But even the best tuna salad sandwiches can get old after a while. Luckily, that doesn't mean you have to stray away from canned seafood to make an easy change. The next time you need an easy sandwich, swap that tuna for canned shrimp.

That's right, shrimp is sold in a can at the grocery store just like that tuna you often mix with dollops of mayonnaise. And just like tuna, the shrimp is cooked, so you can enjoy it cold as an easy swap with the other mix-ins, including mustard and fresh herbs like dill. You might've made shrimp salad when you poach the shellfish first, but the tinned ingredient skips that extra step. One caveat is that canned shrimp might be around a dollar more expensive than tinned tuna, but that's not a huge price to pay to switch up your sandwich game.

Whipping up shrimp salad isn't terribly different than making the dish with canned tuna. You'll certainly want to drain the water from the shrimp as you would with tuna before adding it to the bowl. However, it also pays off to rinse the canned shrimp, because it helps remove some of the saltiness from the spices in the can. As for the rest, dollops of mayonnaise are certainly necessary to achieve that creamy, salad consistency. But Greek yogurt is a good alternative to mayo if you want to make it a bit healthier. Add a squirt of Dijon mustard or a dash of hot sauce to add some tang or heat. To add more flavor, consider dried or fresh herbs like parsley or dill. For crunch, add diced celery, cucumbers, pickles, red onion, or shallots.

Although you can keep it classic with those ingredients that often go into tuna salad, there are some other ingredients that pair well with the shellfish. Take the seafood inspiration further and add Old Bay seasoning to the bowl. Or take it up a notch and add imitation or canned crab meat along with the shrimp. When it's time to assemble the sandwich, we think croissants or a thick, toasted bread are ideal vessels for the shrimp salad, along with some lettuce to act as a barrier between the bread and creamy dressing.