Grilled Cheese Dippers With Spicy Tomato Cheese Soup Recipes

Steps:

• For the tomato soup: Heat a large saucepan over medium heat and add the oil. When hot, add the onion and a large pinch of salt and cook until starting to soften, about 2 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for an additional minute. Mix in the tomatoes and chicken stock. Add the cream, hot sauce and oregano if using and bring to a simmer. Simmer until thickened and the flavors come together, 20 to 30 minutes. Taste and season with additional salt if needed. Let cool slightly, then transfer to a blender and puree until smooth.
• For the grilled cheese: Heat a large skillet or griddle over medium heat.
• Spread the mayonnaise or melted butter on one side of each slice of bread. Sprinkle the Parmesan over the mayonnaise or butter. Flip the slices and put 4 pieces of Cheddar on 4 of the bread slices. Spread the other bread slices with mustard, if using, and close the slices together to form sandwiches (the mayonnaise and Parmesan should be on the outside).
• Working in batches if necessary, transfer the sandwiches to the skillet and cook until browned and toasted, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Slice and serve with the tomato soup.

Steps:

• Make the soup: Dump the canned tomatoes and their juices into a medium pot and using your hands, tear into coarse chunks. Swish the broth in the empty tomato can and add to the pot.
• Stir in the onion, butter, oregano and sugar and season generously with salt and pepper. Turn the heat to high and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover and continue simmering, stirring occasionally, until the onion is tender and the tomatoes have broken down, 15 to 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, make the sandwiches: Spread a thin layer of mayonnaise on one side of each slice of bread and evenly sprinkle the cheese and a little oregano on the mayonnaise side of 4 slices. Top with the cheeseless slices, mayonnaise-side down.
• Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a large skillet over medium. Add the sandwiches and cook until golden brown on the bottoms, 2 to 3 minutes. Melt the remaining tablespoon of butter in the pan, then flip the sandwiches with a spatula, move them around to coat with the butter and cook until the other side is golden brown and the cheese is melted, 1 to 2 minutes. Turn heat to lowest setting to keep sandwiches warm.
• Carefully purée the tomato soup using a blender until smooth and creamy, adding more broth if needed to loosen to your desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer the grilled cheeses to a cutting board and cut each in half diagonally. Serve alongside the soup.

Steps:

• Put the quartered tomatoes in a blender and blend until smooth.
• Heat 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil in a medium pot over medium heat. Add the garlic and half of the scallions and cook, stirring, 2 minutes. Increase the heat to medium high; strain the pureed tomatoes through a mesh sieve into the pot. Stir in the chopped tomatoes, 1 cup water, the cream, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Bring to a simmer and cook until thickened, about 5 minutes. Add the pasta and cook until tender, about 10 minutes; season with salt and pepper.
• Toss the remaining scallions with the cheeses; divide the mixture between 2 of the bread slices. Top each with a slice of ham, the remaining cheese mixture and bread.
• Heat the remaining 1/2 tablespoon olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. Cook the sandwiches until the cheese melts, about 3 minutes per side; cut in half.
• Ladle the soup into bowls; top with basil and serve with the sandwiches.

Steps:

• For Soup:
• In a medium pot, over medium heat, add the canola oil. Stir in the onions and celery, and saute until the onions are soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, red pepper flakes, and salt and pepper, to taste, and saute an additional 2 minutes. Stir in the crushed tomatoes and vegetable broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook, covered for 30 minutes. (Remove 2 cups of soup and reserve it for Round 2 Recipe Chicken Cacciatore.) Add the remaining soup to a blender and puree until smooth. Return the puree to the pot and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Serve hot with grilled cheese sandwich.
• For Grilled Cheese Sandwich:
• Heat a large grill pan over medium-high heat. Butter 1 side of each slice of bread. Lay half of the bread, butter side down, in the pan. Put a slice of American cheese on each piece of bread, then sprinkle 2 tablespoons of the Cheddar on top of each piece. Add another slice of American cheese on top of the Cheddar and finally cover with the remaining bread slices, butter side up. Grill until golden brown on both sides and the cheese is melted, about 3 minutes a side. Cut into triangles and serve with tomato soup.