Grilled Cheese Dippers With Spicy Tomato Cheese Soup Food

TOMATO SOUP WITH GRILLED CHEESE

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.

CAULIFLOWER SOUP AND GARLIC AND CHEESE SOURDOUGH "DIPPERS"

Steps:

• In a large pot, heat up the olive oil and 2 tablespoons of the butter, over medium heat. Season with salt and pepper. Add the cauliflower florets and stir with a wooden spoon. Add celery, onion and thyme and cook for 3 minutes. Push the vegetables to 1 side of the pot. Melt 1 more tablespoon of butter on empty side of pot and add flour to the butter. Cook for 1 minute, stirring the flour in the butter. Mix in chicken broth and half-and-half. Bring up to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes. Puree soup using an emersion blender, food processor or blender and return to pot. I like to leave it a little chunky. Check seasoning and add a dash of hot sauce, if desired.
• Garnish soup with hot pepper sauce, chopped parsley or chives and serve with grated cheese to sprinkle on top.
• Preheat broiler.
• Toast English muffin halves and then place on a cookie sheet. In a small saucepan, melt the butter with the garlic over low heat. Brush toasted muffins with garlic butter and top with lots of grated cheddar and Parmesan cheeses. Sprinkle a little paprika over toasts, then place under broiler until cheeses are melted and browned. Serve cheesy toasts with soup for dipping.

GRILLED CHEESE WITH TOMATO SOUP

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.

SPICY GRILLED CHEESE

Steps:

• Heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Spread each slice of bread with 1 tablespoon of the mayonnaise. Place one piece of bread, mayonnaise-side down, into the skillet. Top with the Jalapeno Pimento Cheese. Place the second slice of bread, mayonnaise-side up, onto the cheese. Using a spatula, press together and cook until golden, about 2 minutes per side. Slice and serve.
• Combine the cream cheese, mayonnaise, adobo sauce, Dijon mustard, black pepper, cayenne or hot sauce and salt in the bowl of a food processor. Process until combined. Add almost all of the Cheddar and Gouda, reserving about 2 tablespoons of each in a bowl, and pulse until well combined again. Add the contents of the blender to the reserved cheese and stir to combine. Fold in the pimentos, jalapenos and dill, then chill before serving.
• Serve as a dip with crackers and olives.

FRESH TOMATO SOUP WITH GRILLED CHEESE

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.