I’ve recently become aware that my childhood, while very nice and seemingly normal in many ways, is not dotted with classic children staple foods. I almost don’t want to write this because people seriously look at me like I’m a freak of nature but I’ve NEVER had a PB&J sandwich.
You can close your mouth now. Yes, yes…its true. Let’s all get over the shock.
Recently my friends discovered this and are on a PB&J crusade for me. I’m assuming there are a lot more food staples I didn’t regularly eat when I was a kid and I blame 1- my hispanic upbringing: rice and beans were our PB&J and 2- my picky-ness. I, like a lot of children, was a super picky eater. I didn’t even like pizza.
There’s your open mouth again! Don’t worry, I like pizza now (duh) and a million other things that I didn’t eat as a kid. I feel like that’s normal for a lot of kids. Not all of course but most kids won’t eat certain things and then grow up and love it. I know that happened to me with lots of things.
Anyways, another food staple I’m starting to realize I might have missed out on is the classic Tomato Soup and Grilled Cheese. I know..this is getting ridiculous!
So I had pinned a few recipes of this classic combo and decided it would be a perfect weekend lunch. But since we’re usually out and about on the weekends, I decided to cave and make it for dinner last week.
It’s actually a very easy recipe and the outcome was really delicious.
Here’s the recipe I used from a blog I recently discovered (and now LOVE): Everyday Occasions by Jenny Steffens Hobick.
Source
Doesn’t that picture look enticing? Here is her recipe:
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Tomato Basil Soup
3 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tablespoons of olive oil
2 – 14 oz. cans of crushed tomatoes
1 – 14 oz. can of whole tomatoes
2 cups of stock (chicken or vegetable)
1 tsp of sea salt
1 tsp of sugar
1/2 tsp of fresh ground black pepper
1/4 cup of heavy cream
3 tablespoons of fresh basil, julienned
parmesan cheese
In a saucepan, saute garlic in olive oil on medium heat for 1 minute – being careful not to burn the garlic. Add the crushed tomatoes. Add the whole tomatoes one at a time, squeezing them into the pan to break them up. Add the juice from the whole tomatoes, as well. Add chicken stock, salt, pepper and sugar. Cook the soup on medium at a simmer for 10 minutes.
To finish, reduce the heat to low and stir in heavy cream and basil. Serve topped with parmesan cheese or a
grilled cheese sandwich.
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Easy right? Here are the steps, Susy Style!
I started with the whole and and crushed tomatoes. I’m thinking about going organic next time.
Over olive oil at medium heat, I put in the crushed tomatoes and the whole tomatoes, squeezing them as Jenny said to break them up.
Added the remaining ingredients and topped with basil.
I was surprised at how easy and most importantly, how quickly this can be done. And that’s as a first timer. After a couple of tries, I should get it down to a science.
Next the Grilled Cheese. Here is Jenny’s recipe that I used:
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The Best Grilled Cheese Sandwich
4 sandwiches
8 slices of Italian Bread
1 cup of extra sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
2/3 cup of provolone cheese, shredded
2/3 cup of swiss cheese, shredded
2 tablespoon of butter
salt & pepper
Divide the bread into 4 stacks of 2 pieces. butter the tops and bottoms of the sandwiches. In between the slices, divide up the shredded cheeses. In a hot skillet – or cast iron pan/griddle works best – grill the sandwiches on medium heat for about 3 minutes on each side until they are brown and the cheese has melted.
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Disclaimer: When doing my grocery shopping, I thought I had read Parmesan cheese on the list of ingredients instead of Provolone cheese so I didn’t buy any because I already had Parmesan. I didn’t realize my gaff until it was cooking time so I went ahead and just used the parmesan cheese (instead of provolone) because, really, you can’t go wrong with parmesan cheese anyways.
Sliced Italian bread from the grocery store
Buttered both sides. (I use Brummel and Brown yogurt butter)
Oh yea…I’m grilling.
And here are the two as they finally come together!
YUM!
I had two slices of the sandwich and my husband had 6 (why is life so unfair?!) but I was stuffed anyways. It’s a light meal but its filling, if that makes sense. You can get the recipe links on my Pinterest Board.
I personally thought the tomato soup was going to be less chunky as it still had semi-big pieces of the whole tomatoes, even after having squeezed them to break them up. But like I said, I’ll keep making this from time to time and hopefully introduce it to my future children to live vicariously through their childhood. What do you think? Good plan? Yea, I thought so too.
Leave me a comment and let me know what childhood staple or comfort food you like best or you think I should try next. I’d really LOVE to hear your thoughts! Thanks!
Ps. I promise to start trying to take better pictures! Eventually it’ll look like hers! The pictures…and the food!
One last thing…Remember this year’s Valentine’s Day French Toast? I think next year I’ll try these Heart Shaped Grilled Cheeses instead.
How adorable!
Susy Home Maker 
