A New Look for Tomato Soup & Grilled Cheese
Who doesn’t love tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches? It was, and still is, a comfort food staple. Its quick and it’s easy to make. But both of them are getting a make-over that will tease and satisfy the taste buds to the extreme. Here are some of the newly made over tomato soup and grilled cheese recipes of yore.
Monte Cristo Sandwiches
· 2 large eggs
· 1/2 cup milk
· 8 slices sturdy white sandwich bread
· 8 slices turkey breast
· 4 slices Swiss cheese
· 8 slices Black Forest or other ham
· 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
· Confectioners’ sugar (optional)
1/4 cup raspberry or strawberry jam (optional)
1) In a wide, shallow bowl, beat eggs and milk to combine.
2)Lay a slice of bread on a work surface and top with 2 slices turkey, 1 slice cheese, 2 slices ham and a second slice of bread. Repeat to assemble remaining sandwiches.
3)Warm a large nonstick frying pan over medium heat. Melt butter (if pan is not large enough to accommodate all 4 sandwiches, melt half of butter and cook sandwiches in 2 batches). When butter sizzles, swirl pan to coat.
4)Carefully dip each sandwich in egg mixture, turning to lightly coat both sides. Shake off excess egg mixture. Leaving too much on will make them soggy. Just give each side a light dip in the mixture. Lay sandwiches in hot pan. Cook, turning once, until sandwiches are well-browned on both sides, 4 to 6 minutes total.
5) To serve, cut sandwiches in half diagonally and sprinkle lightly with confectioners’ sugar, if desired. Top each sandwich half with a small dollop of jam, or serve jam alongside for dipping.
Creamy Tomato Basil
Ingredients
· 10-12 Roma Tomatoes, seeds removed
· 1 teaspoon olive Oil
· 1 tablespoon Coconut Oil
· 1 large Onion, chopped
· 2 garlic cloves, minced
· ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
· 28oz. can of crushed tomatoes
· ¼ cup of sun-dried tomatoes, diced
· 4 cups of low sodium chicken broth
· 1 ½ cups of fresh basil
¼ cup of cream cheese
Instructions
1- Preheat oven to 350°.
2- Sprinkle tomatoes with olive oil and season with salt.
3- Roast tomatoes for 40 minutes.
4- In a 6-quart stockpot over medium high heat, add coconut oil, onions and crushed red pepper.
5- Sauté onions until translucent {about 5-7 minutes}.
6-Add garlic, stir for 30 seconds and add crushed tomatoes, chicken broth, and sun-dried tomatoes.
7- Bring to a boil, then add roasted tomatoes and let simmer for 10 minutes.
8- Add basil and cream cheese to pot and stir until the cream cheese is completely melted.
9- Blend soup until smooth. (I used my immersion blender but you could also take the soup out in portions and put it in a blender.)
Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup Dumplings
Ingredients
· 1 (10.75-ounce) can condensed tomato soup
· 16 slices Kraft Singles American cheese
· 32 slices (about 1½ loaves) white sandwich bread, edges cut off
· 2 cups milk
· 2 quarts vegetable oil
Instructions
1- Fill molds of an ice cube tray with soup (do not add water or milk). You should have enough soup to fill 8 molds. Freeze for at least 6 hours or overnight.
2- Cut each cube into 4 pieces. Wrap each piece in half a slice of cheese. Wrap a slice of bread around the cheese and drizzle 1 tablespoon of milk on the bread to get it moist enough to bind into a ball. Make sure there are no open seams.
3-Heat oil to 325℉ in a deep fryer or a deep, heavy-bottomed pot fitted with an oil thermometer.
4- Fry dumplings in batches until golden brown, 5-6 minutes. Drain on paper towels.
5- Eat with caution, not only because they’re hot, but because someone’s going to fight you for that last one.
Thick & Creamy Tomato Basil Soup with Prosciutto, Apple & Gruyere Grilled Cheese
Ingredients
Soup:
· 3 Tbsp olive oil
· 1 large onion, diced
· 3 cloves garlic, minced
· 2 28oz cans crushed tomatoes
· 3 cups chicken or veggie stock (homemade is best)
· ¼ tsp salt
· 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
· ¾ cup heavy cream
· ⅓ cup fresh basil, minced
· 1½ Tbsp granulated sugar
Sandwich:
2 Tbsp butter
8 slices sourdough bread
4 large slices of prosciutto
8 slices Gruyere cheese
8 slices cheddar cheese
1 granny smith apple, peeled and thinly sliced
Optional (to garnish)
· Basil, chopped
· Parmesan cheese
· Sour cream
Instructions
1- Heat olive oil over medium-low heat in a dutch oven or large pot. Once hot, add onion and cook, stirring occasionally until softened, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute, stirring to avoid burning the garlic.
2- Stir in the tomatoes, chicken stock and salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for about 20 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
3- Carefully transfer mixture to a blender and puree until smooth. Return mixture to the pot.
4- Stir in the cream, basil and sugar, bring to a boil and let simmer for another 20 minutes until thick and creamy.
5- While soup is simmering, make grilled cheese. Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. Place a piece of bread in the skillet and layer with prosciutto, Gruyere, cheddar and apple. Top with another slice of bread, and repeat for all 4 sandwiches. Cook for about 5 minutes on each side until bread has browned and cheese has melted.
6- Serve sandwiches immediately with a bowl of soup, topped with fresh basil, Parmesan cheese or sour cream.
Grilled Cheese Roll-Ups with Marinara Dip
Ingredients
· 6 slices very soft, fresh white bread (crusts removed)
· 6 slices American cheese (such as Kraft singles)
· butter for “toasting”
· homemade marinara/spaghetti sauce (or your favorite store bought brand)
Instructions
1- Using a sharp knife, carefully remove the crusts from the bread slices. Flatten each slice of bread with a rolling pin until very flat. Place a slice of American cheese on each of the flattened bread slices and roll each of these up into a tight roll. Moosh the edge of the bread to the roll to seal (you can use a couple drops of water to do this if needed.)
2- Heat a couple tablespoons butter in a skillet over medium heat. Place the roll-ups in the butter once it’s barely sizzling. Using a spatula, roll the roll-ups around in the butter. Gently flip and roll until all sides are golden brown and cheese is melty.
3- Heat 1/4 cup of your favorite marinara/spaghetti sauce in a microwave-safe cup (covered with a napkin or paper towel) for about 30 seconds or until just warm.
4- Dip roll-ups in sauce! YUM!
