Tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwich

[Howie Hart]

This used to be one of my favorite quick lunches, using Campbell's tomato soup. While sitting in the dentist's chair this morning, I started to daydream about this lunch and continued to do so while driving home. I recalled the excellent tomato soup that my son Tim and I had at Los Caneros in San Antonio after he came home from Iraq.
Grilled cheese and tomato sandwich, using excellent local bakery crusty Italian bread, NY State horseradish white cheddar and thin sliced roma tomatoes (I hate January tomatoes).
Cream of Tomato Soup
Sweat one medium onion in 2 Tbsp. butter. Add 3 cups chicken stock, one 28 oz can crushed tomatoes, one 6 oz can tomato paste, 1 Tbsp salt and 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper. Heat up and allow it to simmer for about a half hour. At this point, I used my immersion blender, but I think the next time I make this, I'll used a food mill. Stir in 3 cups of milk and serve. This is not Campbell's.

[Fred Sipe]

Dammit Howie, it's 8:40 in the morning and that sounds like a darn good breakfast right now!

[Karen/NoCA]

I made home made tomato soup this summer when we had the wonderful garden toms. It freezes very well....try that next year and you will have your good soup and melty cheese during the winter!

[Mike Filigenzi]

We had grilled cheese sandwiches with leftover (homemade) baked beans a couple of nights ago. This soup sounds like it would be great with the sandwiches!

[Jenise]

In the last few years I've come to understand that this combination is classic, and a fond childhood memory for many. It never happened at our house; should I feel deprived?

[Karen/NoCA]

Yep, yep! Nothing better than tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches. Campbell's is not bad, but in the summer, I love making it myself. Cheese must be Tillamook's extra sharp cheddar. A good whole grain/ wheat bread is buttered on the outside, then grilled slowly in a pan so the cheese melts all the way and the bread gets nice brown marks. Of course, one must cut a few strips from the bread to dip into the soup! Sometimes I even put a bit of Tule Lake horseradish on the inside of the bread.

[Jenise]

We grew up on homemade tomato soup, more a bisque type tomato soup (from canned tomatoes), but our accompaniament was always avocado toast, a combination I still adore. I can't remember my mom ever making a grilled cheese sandwich!

[Mike Filigenzi]

We used to have grilled cheese sandwisches once in a great while when I was a kid. I eat them much more frequently now, often as a weekend lunch item.

[Rahsaan]

I ate a lot of tomato soups as a child, but not many grilled cheese sandwiches that I can remember. At least not at home. I think we often ate the tomato soup with rice.

Of course grilled cheese sandwiches are amazing. For those who love bread and cheese like I do. At home we get the best results from gruyere, although that's mainly in comparison to the other standard cheeses we have in the house (parmigiano, ricotta, comte, manchego) as we don't stock specific cheese options for grilled cheese.

[Jenise]

We used to have grilled cheese sandwisches once in a great while when I was a kid. I eat them much more frequently now, often as a weekend lunch item.

By the time I found out just how great a grilled cheese sandwich is (my fave: American cheese and green chiles on rye or sourdough), the fat and carbs involved made sure it's only an occasional indulgence. But oh do I love them!

[Fred Sipe]

The perfect grilled cheese is different for everyone of course, but here's my go to.

Butter a couple of thin slices of italian bread on all 4 sides. Extra points for sesame seeds. Lightly sprinkle the outside of 2 slices with garlic powder. Spread a thin layer of poupon mustard on the inside of each slice. Hit 'em both with fresh ground pepper. Sprinkle generously with grated sharp cheddar. Slap them together and grill in a moderately hot dry cast iron skillet so they don't get too dark as the cheese melts.

Then bring on the tomato soup! Or potato soup. Or clam chowder. Or cream of asparagus, or...