The Hungry Apple

I think one of the best things about being a grown up is that you can eat ice cream for dinner if you so please.  Having said that, I have never had ice cream for dinner (a 2013 resolution perhaps?)  but knowing I could if I wanted to, makes me happy.

I am pretty sure that when I was little and my mom & dad were in a rush or couldn’t think of anything else to make, they would just heat up a can of Campbell’s tomato soup and a grilled cheese. Done. (P.S. At the time I would have rallied for an ice cream dinner with no success)

I can’t say I blame them for their need for speed or their refusal to serve cold sugar in a bowl and while I was never a big fan of that tomato soup and grilled cheese combination, times have changed my friends. Grown Up Grilled Cheeses and Tomato Soup are what made a soup and grilled cheese believer out of me. 

While still simple, this soup doesn’t “only require water” and its sidekick doesn’t get all melty and cheesey with an individually wrapped orange square. No, no, no. This soup is hearty with big pieces of tomato and earthy mushrooms and the sandwich has substantial bread and 3 kinds of cheeses!

The not so secret ingredient for me in the soup is V8.

And the mushrooms make this soup stand apart from your other homemade tomato soups.

After simmering for only 30 minutes you end up with this.

Topped with this.

And it melts like this.

And that is where the grilled cheese comes in!

Sturdy peasant bread is the base of our grilled cheese.

After you spread on the butter you grate and press Parmesan cheese into the butter.

This is going to create a crust you won’t believe!

And the cheese melts so incredibly!

Ahhh. It feels like 1986 in this house.

Grown Up Tomato Soup

3 tablespoons butter

1 medium onion, finely diced

1-8 ounce package mushrooms

20 ounces of tomato juice or V8

1-14.5 ounce can crushed tomatoes

1-14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

10 grinds fresh pepper

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

2 tablespoons of dried basil, oregano or parsley (i used a combination of all)

1 cup boiling water

fresh Parmesan for topping

In a pot over medium heat, melt butter and add onion. Cook for 5-7 minutes until onion is tender.

With the exception of the Parmesan, add all ingredients and let simmer for 30 minutes.

Grilled Cheese 

Ingredients: 

8 slices peasant bread

4 deli slices provolone cheese, halved

4 deli slices mozzarella cheese, halved

1/4 cup butter, softened (more or less depending on your taste)

freshly grated Paremsan (about 8 tablespoons when loosely grated)

Instructions and directions: 

Spread 1-2 teaspoons of butter on one side of each piece of bread. Sprinkle and press Parmesan onto each buttered piece of bread.

In a large skillet over medium heat, place 4 pieces of the bread, buttered side down. Top each piece of bread with 2 halves of mozzerella and two halves of provolone. Place the other 4 pieces of bread on the cheese, butter side up. Leave for 3-4 minutes, flip and grill other side 3-4 minutes or until butter/cheese is golden.

Soup adapted from the Picnic, Grilled Cheese Adapted from My Recipes