Lainey's Avocado Tuna Boats with Herbed Side Salad :

Lainey's Avocado Tuna Boats with Herbed Side Salad :

Description: A deceptively simple, elegant appetizer. Creamy avocado halves are filled with a bright, savory tuna and tomato salad, then topped with sharp white cheddar. The extra filling becomes a beautiful side salad, ensuring nothing is wasted.

Ingredients (Serves 4):

· 4 ripe avocados

· 1 (5 oz) pouch of tuna in olive oil

· 1 medium tomato, finely diced

· 1/4 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped

· 3 oz sharp white cheddar cheese (like Tillamook), crumbled

· 2 tablespoons real mayonnaise

· 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

· 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

· 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

· 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

· 1/2 teaspoon lemon pepper

· 1/4 teaspoon sea salt, plus more for the avocado

Instructions:

1. Make the Filling: In a medium bowl, combine the pouch of tuna (with its olive oil), the diced tomato, chopped parsley, mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, and lemon juice. Mix well with a fork until everything is evenly combined. Stir in the lemon pepper and sea salt. Taste and adjust seasoning. Gently fold in half of the crumbled white cheddar cheese.

2. Prepare the Avocados: Carefully cut each avocado in half lengthwise and remove the pit. Using a spoon, gently scoop out a small amount of the avocado flesh from each half to create a slightly larger well for the filling. Place the scooped flesh onto a cutting board, chop it up, and stir it back into your tuna filling mixture.

3. Assemble the Boats: Arrange two avocado halves on each of four small appetizer plates. Season each half very lightly with a pinch of sea salt. Heap a generous scoop of the tuna filling into the well of each avocado half, letting it mound over the top.

4. Serve: Garnish the filled avocado boats with the remaining crumbled white cheddar. Any extra filling left in the bowl is your side salad—simply spoon it alongside the avocado boats on the plate. Serve immediately.

This is a perfect, healthy, and satisfying dish that came straight from your intuition. It’s totally blog-worthy.