365850 Tue Jan 30 12:06:31 -0800 2007 62 31 Home Cooking 0 2242295 We are throwing a tomato soup and grilled cheese get together and I thought I'd open it up to my dear hounds for their favorites! So far, the plan is a roasted red pepper and tomato soup and a grilled cheese made with better cheese and herbs - please indulge me with your best version of a tomato soup and your best grilled cheeses! Tue Jan 30 12:06:31 -0800 2007 57801 lollya 1 2242328 grilled cheese on challah - add tomato slices and crisp bacon put a dash or two of worchestershire sauce in the tomato soup, and maybe (more cheese) sprinkle some grated cheese in each bowl before pouring the soup over Tue Jan 30 12:11:46 -0800 2007 2242295 23415 pescatarian 1 2242344 Grilled cheese - slather pain de mie with olive oil, put one slice of bread on hot skillet, add a combination of grated gruyere and fontina, add the second slice, salt lightly, flip when first slice is brown, weigh down with something. Excellent - I swear I gained 5 pounds over Christmas last year making these with leftover pain de mie. Tue Jan 30 12:15:08 -0800 2007 2242295 10985 MMRuth 1 2242346 i LOVE michael chiarello's roasted tomato soup...it is easy but so so fantastic. http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_29730,00.html?rsrc=search i leave the cream out, because with the butter the soup definitely tastes creamy enough! also, love the idea of this party. you should serve chocolate chip cookies with milk for dessert to keep with the theme :). Tue Jan 30 12:15:15 -0800 2007 2242295 45862 tomatosoup 2 2243246 I second this recipe. Katie Nell recommended this recipe on another post, and it's divine! Enjoy! Our favourite grilled cheese sandwich is from Bill Granger - a recipe adapted from Harry's Bar - marinate tomato slices in some olive oil, chopped garlic and fresh chili and s+p, then dip one side of two pieces of sourdough bread in the oil mix, fill with the tomatoes and grated fontina, and grill in a pan until cheese melts. Killer, killer grilled cheese! Tue Jan 30 15:33:28 -0800 2007 2242346 27754 AmandaEd 2 2246455 The tomato soup recipe is a fatfest! One small can of tomatoes with 3/4 CUP ol olive oil and a half cup of heavy cream. Wed Jan 31 13:14:54 -0800 2007 2242346 41181 Rhee 3 2287593 I agree, but I certainly don't make it to spec - lol - 2 tbsp of oo and a half cup of sour cream/buttermilk/2% is equally satisfying. Good point, Rhee! :) Tue Feb 13 06:41:13 -0800 2007 2246455 27754 AmandaEd 1 2242349 We make tomato basil soup. Grilled cheese with two kinds of cheese is best. I like swiss and havarti. Do you have a panini grill for the sandwiches or a weight to get them flat? Tue Jan 30 12:16:11 -0800 2007 2242295 16602 lisaf 2 2242418 I always use swiss and cheddar, usually with at least a slice or two of tomato in between. Covering while cooking with a pot lid makes them cook perfectly but not burn. Tomato soup, we like some milk to make it creamy, and adding some precooked wide egg noodles. That'll fill you up! Tue Jan 30 12:27:57 -0800 2007 2242349 11097 coll 1 2242361 A splash of dry sherry and a dolop of creme fraiche will add a great nuance to the tomato soup. If you have an indoor grill pan, it makes perfect grilled cheese sandwhiches when you weight the top of the sandwhich with a plate. Kind of a makeshift panni-press. Tue Jan 30 12:18:07 -0800 2007 2242295 39747 ExercisetoEat 2 2242367 Or even a cast iron skillet - that works as well. Tue Jan 30 12:19:20 -0800 2007 2242361 10985 MMRuth 1 2242401 thanks guys! i'm glad you like the idea! i forgot to mention we're vegetarians - but I'm going to keep the meat versions around as well for the boy i share my life with. the chocolate chip cookies and milk is a hilarious and wonderful dessert for my party as well....we do not have a panini-press (wish, haven't done enough research to pick on e yet) but we do have a cast iron that we weight down! Tue Jan 30 12:24:45 -0800 2007 2242295 57801 lollya 1 2242402 Instead of the grilled cheese being on the side, why not incorporate a version into the soup? My mother always serves her roasted red pepper soup/or tomato soup with super cheesy polenta squares in the soup, v. yummy. Tue Jan 30 12:24:46 -0800 2007 2242295 29114 WineWidow 1 2242700 Add a roasted habanero into your tomato soup to give it a little kick. For a grownup grilled cheese use a baguette and some gruyere. Or try to make a mozzeralla en carozza, kind of a mixture between a monte cristo and a mozzeralla stick. Tue Jan 30 13:25:43 -0800 2007 2242295 12821 ESNY 1 2242886 I like old cheddar & tomato grilled cheese, fried in garlic butter. Jalapeno, havarti and avocado grilled cheese. Have also enjoyed mozzarella & pesto grilled ciabbata. Tue Jan 30 14:09:52 -0800 2007 2242295 47222 spaetzle 2 2242973 mmmm, especially jalapeno, havarti and avocado :) Tue Jan 30 14:28:01 -0800 2007 2242886 23415 pescatarian 1 2242936 If you don't add red wine to your tomato soup, do so. Also, I add a small handful of couscous as well, just to give the soup more texture - I've never seen this done before, I just do it out of personal preference. The fresh basil and creme fraiche are good suggestions too. If you don't have/want to make CF, sour cream would do nicely too. Tue Jan 30 14:22:02 -0800 2007 2242295 46062 Rocknrope 1 2242952 Some mustard on my grilled cheese, please. Tue Jan 30 14:25:14 -0800 2007 2242295 57867 Gin and It 1 2242968 oooh i love me some mustard on the ones i make. we've done fresh herbs layered in-between assorted cheeses (cheddars, havartis, gruyeres) then we spread different mustards or spiced mayos on one side...adds to the gooiness factor. Tue Jan 30 14:27:23 -0800 2007 2242295 57801 lollya 1 2242997 You need to and MUST have the standard we all know and love. - Campbell's Tomato soup made with 3/4 of a can of whole milk. - Next to it have Wonder bread grilled cheese made with Land o Lakes American cheese, grilled in butter. Circle the standard with any of the suggestions on this thread. I'd be curious as to which goes more quickly. Tue Jan 30 14:31:36 -0800 2007 2242295 11290 jfood 2 2243015 I absolutely agree! I get a lot of heat for this but I hate melted cheese (at least the kind that strings) but I love cheese with my tomato soup so I always make my sandwiches with american. I've also done sandwiches where I've mixed regular options with other nonstringy cheeses like goat cheese or boursin and they've been really good as well. And always mustard on the side! Tue Jan 30 14:35:07 -0800 2007 2242997 46417 LAcupcake 3 2243028 i have found that if you layer american and other cheeses and with the addition of a spread, you get the most delicious ooey-gooey cheese! try it!! Tue Jan 30 14:39:42 -0800 2007 2243015 57801 lollya 2 2243076 That wasn't the standard in my home growing up. Usually challah, never Wonder bread or any form of sliced white bread (perhaps, occasionally rye bread). Never milk in the tomato soup, just water. Tue Jan 30 14:52:22 -0800 2007 2242997 23415 pescatarian 3 2243115 Challah rarely survived Shabbat dinner and if it did was immediately used for french toast in the morning. Milk was our secret ingredient, once you try it you'll thank me. Ciao Tue Jan 30 15:00:49 -0800 2007 2243076 11290 jfood 4 2243134 lol, I have had it with milk, I'm just saying it wasn't the standard for me (still prefer it with water) Tue Jan 30 15:03:10 -0800 2007 2243115 23415 pescatarian 5 2243186 po-tay-toe vs po-tah-toe. To be perfectly honest there was a bread in the 60's that marketed itself as "the round bread". I just do not remember the name of it. That's what we used. And the crackers for the soup had to be saltines. Tue Jan 30 15:17:11 -0800 2007 2243134 11290 jfood 6 2243222 like this?: http://www.dudleysbakery.com/breads/breads2.htm#Potato%20Bread: Tue Jan 30 15:26:14 -0800 2007 2243186 23415 pescatarian 7 2244715 I wish. We're talking NJ 1960's. The bread came from the supermarket, cost $0.19 a loaf and came in a brown and white plastic bag. Very processed and probably came from Nabisco, Hostess or some other large corp. Wed Jan 31 06:58:07 -0800 2007 2243222 11290 jfood 2 2281570 Campbell's will always be a mainstay, when time gets away from me. A favorite of mine is to crumble saltines until the soup is almost solid. Some people think that's gross. I love it! Baquette sliced inside out and grilled. I like to mix several cheeses. American, Jack, swiss, sharp cheddar. Sun Feb 11 09:29:07 -0800 2007 2242997 40385 othervoice 1 2243063 tomato soup made with stewed tomatoes & basil salt and pepper, pureed add cream and butter, and a little sherry. Grilled cheese a nice american cheese, fontina with scallions slice ultra thin, pressed. No panini maker, put a smaller pan on top with a few cans of food to weight it down. Or not. Brush the outer bread with butter and run a garlic clove just for a slight hint. Dip in ice cold ketchup. Meat eaters, add bacon. Tue Jan 30 14:47:46 -0800 2007 2242295 50431 chef chicklet 1 2243081 Here's a terrific recipe for a Roasted Tomato and Garlic Soup from Epicurious: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/recipe_views/views/5102 Tue Jan 30 14:53:04 -0800 2007 2242295 11407 JoanN 1 2243087 modest aside: if it's a grown up spin you're after, consider serving a red snapper with the soup and grilled cheese. the snapper is the grandmother of all bloody marys and comes to us by way of harry's bar in paris/manhattan's king cole bar (same barkeep). google around for the original recipe. in hindsight, skip the soup entirely and sub the snapper. :-) Tue Jan 30 14:54:31 -0800 2007 2242295 10627 steve h. 2 2243181 the second line of that post was so more more acceptable than the first, b/c all I saw at first glance was soup, cheese and fish! Gross! Tue Jan 30 15:16:02 -0800 2007 2243087 16434 wabbitslayer 3 2243353 gotta love the snapper. king cole bar is pretty cool. Tue Jan 30 16:12:09 -0800 2007 2243181 10627 steve h. 1 2243193 OK here's a question. With all the talk of tomato soup, what crackers did people snap and drop into it. Me, Nabisco was the only way to go. They were made in my hometown. Tue Jan 30 15:18:29 -0800 2007 2242295 11290 jfood 2 2243214 Triscuits or those ones that are really thin rye like sheets that you break off (each cracker is perferated into quarters), can't remember the name right now. Tue Jan 30 15:24:38 -0800 2007 2243193 23415 pescatarian 2 2243217 i was a grilled cheese or plain buttered toast dunker, but if we used cracker it would be either saltines or club. Tue Jan 30 15:25:00 -0800 2007 2243193 57801 lollya 2 2243474 Has to be ritz. Quick dunk, no crumbling and dropping it. Otherwise, I'm not against oyster crackers or saltines but Ritz is the ideal cracker. Tue Jan 30 16:51:18 -0800 2007 2243193 12821 ESNY 1 2243250 Why not make it a croque monsieur instead of grilled cheese. The only difference is that a croque monsieur also has ham Tue Jan 30 15:35:12 -0800 2007 2242295 19878 peachblossom 1 2243253 I absolutely love this "grown-up" version of tomato soup. You can really pump up the ginger or make it more subtle depending on how much you add. You can also play around with the cream, making it more or less creamy depending on your own taste. As for grilled cheese, I love a good melting cheese like gruyere with thin slices of apple or pear. Hubby likes his with a nice smoked bacon (not really a grilled cheese I guess, but really good!). Tomato-Ginger Soup 2 onions, quartered 5-8 ounces fresh ginger root, peeled and chopped 2 lbs. tomatoes with juice, peeled, seeded, and chopped 1/2 cup butter 1 cup vegetable or chicken stock 2 Tablespoons sugar salt and white pepper 1/2-3/4 cups whipping cream 2 egg yolks Garnish: long pieces of chives. Puree or crush onion and ginger. Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat and add onion puree. Cook for 4 minutes, blending flavors and stirring frequently. Puree tomatoes and add to the saucepan. Stir in the stock, sugar, salt, and pepper and bring to a boil. Stirring occasionally, cook over medium heat for about 30 minutes. Taste for seasoning, adding salt, pepper, and/or sugar as desired. Beat the egg yolks in a small bowl and lighten with 1 cup of the soup. Stir this mixture into the soup and stir until the soup thickens--about 2 minutes. Do not bring to a boil. Add cream to your taste. Garnish with chive and serve. Serves 4 as first course. Tue Jan 30 15:36:17 -0800 2007 2242295 12410 glazebrookgirl 1 2243429 My daughter makes a really good tomato-basil soup ( the recipe is on play-with food) To go along, my favorite grilled cheese is open-faced with broiled rye bread, and baby swiss with a slather of mayo... or you could add bacon and avocado to any cheese and grill- it can't be bad! Deborah Dowd http://play-with-food.blogspot.com Tue Jan 30 16:33:31 -0800 2007 2242295 68285 playwithfood 1 2244817 This grilled chees appears basic, but it has brought people to tears. Use Arnolds White bread. Add one slice of muenster cheese, top with 2-3 (depending on thickness) Boar's Head White American, then another muenster. Lightly butter each side of the bread and place on a lightly oiled griddle (can substitute cast iron) When 1st side is golden, place sandwich in microwave for 20 seconds. DON'T WORRY...it is not enough time to cause the bread to be gummy. Trust me. Place back in pan to finish the other side. Remove from pan, cut, eat, weep. Wed Jan 31 07:30:39 -0800 2007 2242295 46220 pesto 1 2245298 There was a place in my neighborhood that recently closed called Melt who made a variety of grilled cheese sandwiches. My favorite was called an Ugly American, and I swear up and down it was absolutely delicious, but I agree the ingredients do not sound appetizing. American cheese, peanut butter, banana slices, and orange-fig jam on a country white bread. I know, but there are a good amount of people who knew Melt that would be able to convince you how amazing the combination was. I also love muenster, avocado, and tomatoes together. Wed Jan 31 09:29:26 -0800 2007 2242295 15257 fornaio 2 2281613 I would have eaten that Ugly American in a heartbeat. Where the heck can you find orange-fig jam?? I've perused many gourmet sites haven't come across it. Sun Feb 11 09:44:04 -0800 2007 2245298 40385 othervoice 1 2245958 Yummy Tomato soup & grilled cheese - Crackers must be the white ones come in the red box drawing a blank on the name one good handfull crushed into bits. - Sandwich - white bread toasted with butter on both sides and processed cheese. the best food when your sick.yummm Another fav White wonder bread, tuna with tons of mayo, & cheez whiz OMG. & pkg chicken noodle soup. so much for having a funky palatte that craves oysters and such items, just shot that to hell with those cravings. Wed Jan 31 11:40:29 -0800 2007 2242295 26558 MiniMom 2 2246100 hahaha! i just had a brilliant sandwich at hells kitchen with roasted veggies (fennel, eggplant, onion, red pepper) fontina and swiss. Wed Jan 31 12:09:17 -0800 2007 2245958 57801 lollya 1 2246560 The spicy tomato soup and grilled cheese at Butcher Shop in Boston is amazing. The sandwich is a panini with guyere and proscuitto! Oh yeah! Wed Jan 31 13:35:55 -0800 2007 2242295 24576 MRS 1 2247781 Curry powder is nice way to doctor Campbells tomato soup. The rest of the family cooks it with milk but I think water is enough. (plus a spoonful of sherry) Grilled cheese - any cheese, any bread - is elevated by fresh herbs - dill, rosemary or parsley. Wed Jan 31 18:59:39 -0800 2007 2242295 43399 atheorist 1 2248050 What a great party idea. Spicy tomato lentil soup from my blog http://frugalcuisine.blogspot.com/2006/12/spicy-tomato-lentil-soup.html with a milder cheese (like fontina or fruilano) on whole grain bread. The best way to make grilled cheese grown up is to pair it with a nice glass of wine. Wed Jan 31 20:28:44 -0800 2007 2242295 15802 pepper_mil 1 2253048 Just thought I'd post back and thank everyone for the ideas...here's what we went with: I roasted 2 red peppers, 1 red onion, 1 bulb of garlic and canned Muir Glen tomatoes (whole). Pureed them in the blender (with a little texture left - I like it that way) Then I used a qt. of veggie stock to thin it all out. I julienned basil for sprinkling on the top. For grilled cheese, we had a variety of breads, cheeses and herbs. We did a make your own style set-up which was great. We tried a bunch of different combos. We used mustards, flavored mayo, and a variety of ketchups for the dippers in the group. thanks again. lollya Fri Feb 02 09:00:13 -0800 2007 2242295 57801 lollya 1 2254157 no milk and cookies? :) Fri Feb 02 13:01:41 -0800 2007 2242295 45862 tomatosoup 2 2254404 haha! tomatosoup you crack me up. we actually did have cookies - my friend heather made oatmeal raisin ones and we had plain ol' milk with them! Fri Feb 02 13:57:25 -0800 2007 2254157 57801 lollya 1 2259192 im so glad to hear that! and oatmeal raisin are my favorite! glad the party went so well...i may have to steal that idea next time i have a get together. Sun Feb 04 14:35:21 -0800 2007 2242295 45862 tomatosoup 2 2264355 please do!! Thanks for being so friendly to me. :) Tue Feb 06 08:07:07 -0800 2007 2259192 57801 lollya 1 2265598 Last weekend I made the recipe from Everyday Food. SO good! In place of the canned tomatoes I used the Muir Glen brand of whole roasted tomatoes and added a minced garlic clove. Absolutely delicious - and easy!! Also, whenever I have tomato soup, I add a whole hard-boiled egg to each bowl (an old Norwegian trick) and just cut off bits as I am eating it. Adds protein and tastes really wonderful with the sweetness of the soup! Tue Feb 06 12:46:22 -0800 2007 2242295 12400 WildSwede 2 2265954 That sounds alot healthier than crumbling crackers into it! Tue Feb 06 14:11:09 -0800 2007 2265598 11097 coll 3 2266132 And it is amazingly good. The egg and tomato flavor are magical together. We also sometimes add elbow macaroni to the soup! ;-) Tue Feb 06 14:56:07 -0800 2007 2265954 12400 WildSwede 4 2266140 My favorite is wide egg noodles added to the soup, with some milk to make it creamy too. That's how my father always made it for us. Tue Feb 06 14:57:55 -0800 2007 2266132 11097 coll 1 2265982 Tomato, Dill & White Cheddar soup from Epicurious...excellent! http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/recipe_views/views/3153 Tue Feb 06 14:16:31 -0800 2007 2242295 51540 MartiniQueen 1 2268896 When I first got my pannini press, I made a whole range of sandwiches that were tasty. But I think our very favorite is the fresh tomato, basil and fontina with cracked pepper and sea salt on a hearty bread. Simple and but we love it so much and when the cheese is oozing out the sides... and then for tomato soup, I use stewed tomatoes, chicken stock and then a little heavy cream gently swirled in, salt pepper and good sherry. Top it with grated american run under the broiler, then add a dollop of cream fraiche sprinkled with thin chive. Serve piping hot with your sandwiches.... What a frugal meal for college students, you can get creative when living on a tight budget.. obviously been there and done that.. Wed Feb 07 11:12:34 -0800 2007 2242295 50431 chef chicklet 2 2272476 YUM! Thu Feb 08 09:54:22 -0800 2007 2268896 57801 lollya 1 2274898 I have a great suggestion for you...incorporate all of the tomato, cheese and bread elements in the soup. Make a recipe of Papa al Pomodoro (Italian tomato bread soup) then whisk in some chevre goat cheese at the end and garnish it with fresh basil leaves. OMG, it's good. Thu Feb 08 21:47:52 -0800 2007 2242295 16797 bogie 2 2285639 I could SO do that! Mon Feb 12 14:19:27 -0800 2007 2274898 50431 chef chicklet