How to Make an Open-faced Grilled Cheese Sandwich

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Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup is an irresistible combo and a meal that is easy to pull off with these two great recipes. The tomato soup is intensely tomatoey with a spicy kick. The grilled cheese is open faced, cooked in the oven, and includes some special ingredients that make it extra tasty.

This wonderful rich spicy tomato soup has only two main ingredients - onions and canned tomatoes, plus olive oil and spices. A garnish of fresh basil is optional and highly recommended. The recipe comes from one of my favorite chefs, Barbara Lynch, from a recipe in hercookbook Stir.

My inspiration for the grilled cheese comes from a vintage recipe my mother used to make when she entertained.  She called it cheese grille. It's a sinfully delicious appetizer consisting of equal parts grated parmesan, grated onion, and mayonnaise, mixed together and mounded onto small triangles of white bread, and broiled. I went way lighter on the mayo for this recipe and it's still sublime!

How did Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup become a thing?

It's not clear exactly why and when grilled cheese and tomato soup became a thing. Some food historians say it was after World War ll, when institutional foodservice decided it was important to serve more rounded meals in federal institutions and school cafeterias. Grilled cheese, which was popular and affordable, needed a healthy accompaniment. Tomato soup, with its vitamin C component, fit the bill.

How to make the best grilled cheese and tomato soup

These two recipes are easily manageable for a weeknight dinner.

• For the grilled cheese: Toast the bread in the oven. Make the cheese mixture and spread it on top of the bread. Pop it in the oven until the cheese melts.
• For the tomato soup: Sauté chopped onions and red pepper flakes in a soup pot. Add canned tomatoes and simmer for 30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, puree, done.

The cheese mixture for the sandwich includes grated sharp cheddar cheese, grated onion, dijon mustard and a bit of mayo to hold it all together. The combination of flavors is incredible.

If you have an immersion blender(one of my favorite kitchen gadgets) you can puree the soup right in the pot rather than having to transfer it to a food processor or blender. It will save you lots of time and messy clean up.

In Praise of Open-Faced Grilled Cheese Sandwiches cooked in the oven

What I love about open-faced grilled cheese sandwiches is the higher cheese-to-bread ratio. It's the same reason I prefer thin crust pizza over thick and why I hollow out bagels before toasting them and topping with cream cheese and salmon.

It's not about reducing calories, though that's a nice side benefit.  It's more that I don't want to dilute the delicious flavors of sandwich fillings and pizza toppings with too much bread and dough. Another benefit of the open-faced grilled cheese is that you don't have to stand over a frying pan and you can cook multiple sandwiches at the same time.

These crisp cheesy sandwiches are a perfect partner for this rich spicy tomato soup.

If you want to add something green to this meal, I suggest abutter lettuce salad with Citrus dressing or a thisraw kale salad with honey lemon parmesan dressing.

Here's the oven grilled cheese and tomato soup recipe. If you try this recipe, I hope you'll come back to leave a star rating and a comment. I'd love to know what you think!

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Oven Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup

Grilled cheese and tomato soup is the ultimate comfort food pairing and the perfect lunch combo. Here are two easy and super delicious recipes for this dynamic duo.

• Prep Time: 15 mins
• Cook Time: 30 mins
• Total Time: 45 mins
• Yield: 6 1x
• Category: lunch or dinner
• Method: oven bake
• Cuisine: American

For The Tomato Soup

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 cup chopped yellow onion (1 medium onion)
• 2 28-ounce cans Italian plum tomatoes (San Marzano or Muir Glen Organic is best)
• 1 ½ cups water
• ½ teaspoon salt
• fresh ground pepper, to taste
• 18-24 fresh basil leaves, slivered, optional garnish
• Plain yogurt, sour cream, or creme fraiche, optional garnish

For The Grilled Cheese

• 6 slices of sour dough bread cut in half (or your favorite sandwich bread)
• 6 ounces grated extra sharp cheddar cheese (I used Cracker Barrel Extra Sharp)
• ¾ cup very finely chopped or grated yellow onion (you can use a food processor)
• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise (I recommend Hellman's)
• 1 tablespoon dijon mustard (I recommend Grey Poupon)

1. Preheat oven to broil. (see notes about oven temperatures)
2. Heat oil in a large heavy pot heat oil over medium heat. Add chopped onion and red pepper flakes. Sauté for 8-10 minutes until onion is softened and just starting to brown. Add tomatoes and their juice, water and salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes. Cool soup for 5 minutes or so and puree to your desired consistency using an immersion blender, blender or food processor. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
3. Meanwhile put bread onto a sheet pan and toast lightly in the hot oven with the door slightly ajar for 2-3 minutes, watching carefully to avoid burning. Remove pan and set aside to cool. (Keep the oven on)
4. In a bowl, stir grated cheese, onion, mayonnaise and mustard to combine. Flip bread over so the toasted side is facing down. Divide the cheese mixture evenly onto the bread, using a fork to press it down and spread it out to the edges.
5. Right before serving, broil the sandwiches in the center of the preheated oven for 3 minutes. Continue cooking for 1-2 minutes longer with oven door slightly open, watching the sandwiches as they start to get brown and bubbly. When you see brown spots covering about ⅓ of each sandwich, remove them from the oven and tent with foil while you divide the soup among 6 bowls. Top soup with a dollop of yogurt or sour cream and some slivered basil, if you like. Serve with sandwiches alongside.

Notes

Ovens Differ: If you have the type of oven that shuts off when you open the door, use a lower oven temperature for this recipe and keep the door shut. I recommend 400ºF for toasting the bread and melting the cheese.

Make Ahead Strategies: Both the soup and the cheese mixture can be made up to 2 days ahead, each stored in a covered container in the fridge. Reheat soup gently on the stove. Bring cheese mixture to room temperature before using.

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How to Make an Open-faced Grilled Cheese Sandwich

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