Homemade Tomato Bisque

Happy Monday morning!  Well… it may not be happy, but it can be a comforting Monday morning thinking about cooking something like this tonight:

Scott and I both are big fans of the grilled cheese and tomato soup combination.

When I say big fans I really mean we are fanatics to the extent of serving grilled cheese diagonals and tomato soup shooters during the cocktail hour of our wedding day.

While at the grocery store on Friday, I saw someone tweet a picture of this combo, and that was it.  Dinner = decided.

Let’s start with a Homemade Tomato Bisque recipe I tweaked a little from Spark Recipes.

Ingredients

1 tbsp butter

1/2 onion

2 tsp sugar

2 tsp flour

1/2 cup chicken broth

1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes

1/2 cup skim milk

2 tbsp dry milk powder

salt and pepper to taste

basil to taste

oregano to taste

prep time: 15 minutes

cook time: 25 minutes

servings: 2 (double the recipe to make for 4)

Directions

Chop the onion.

Melt butter in a large pot over medium high heat.

Add onions and sugar, then saute for a few minutes.

*Tip: Stir and scrape your pot well to avoid burning at the bottom of the pot.

Add flour to onion mixture and mix well.

Keep stirring and scraping!

Slowly add the chicken broth and stir to make a smooth, gravy type of texture.

Add the tomatoes and bring the mixture to a boil.

Feel free to add seasonings here.  We added fresh basil straight from Scott’s parents’ farm.

Turn the heat down and simmer for fifteen minutes, which will thicken the soup.

Put the soup into a blender and mix well.

Return the soup back to the pot and reheat.

Stir in the milk mixture.

Add salt, pepper, oregano and basil to taste.

I can’t think of a better meal combination to go with tomato bisque than a good old fashioned grilled cheese.

Except… this wasn’t your ordinary everyday grilled cheese.

It started out by slicing a juicy red tomato.

Then continued with slathering two pieces of whole wheat bread in butter mixed with a blend of Italian seasonings.

On the stove top or griddle, layer as follows: bread, cheese, tomato slices, cheese.

(We used Havarti cheese and it was delicious.)

Want the cheese to melt faster? Try Scott’s trick of covering your sandwich with a pot top.

Add the second slice of bread and flip, cooking each side until the cheese is fully melted.

Cut the sandwiches in half and enjoy alongside (or dipped into) the tomato bisque.

I dip every time!

Off to a nice long morning run followed by a full day of cleaning out an entire storage room.  I know…you’re super envious of the second part.

Like I said Happy Monday! 😉

Question:

Any other grilled cheese dippers out there?