Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup…and Heather Christo’s Generous Table Giveaway!

Ingredients

• 1 Handful basil leaves fresh
• 2 tablespoons butter 
• 8 ounces cambozola cheese 
• 2 quarts chicken stock see 
• 5  garlic cloves unpeeled
• 0.5 cup heavy cream 
• 6 servings kosher salt 
• 0.3 cup olive oil 
• 8 strips bacon thick-cut
• 3 pounds tomatoes 
• 1 large onion yellow roughly chopped

Equipment

• frying pan
• paper towels
• oven
• pot
• grill
• immersion blender
• grill pan
• cutting board
• panini press

Directions

1. First make the soup. Preheat the oven to 400°F.Arrange the tomatoes and garlic on a sheet pan.
2. Drizzle with the olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Roast for 30 minutes, then set aside to cool.In a soup pot, melt the butter over medium heat.
3. Add the onion and sweat until tender, about 5 minutes. (It is okay if the onion starts to caramelize).Squeeze the roasted garlic from their skins and add the garlic, tomatoes, and any juices into the soup pot, along with the basil and chicken stock. Adjust the heat to medium-high and cook for about 15 minutes.Meanwhile, make the sandwiches. Cook the bacon in a medium pan over medium-high heat until all of the fat has been rendered and the bacon is very crispy.
4. Transfer to a paper towel to drain.Divide the Cambozola among 4 bread slices and top each with a few leaves of basil and 2 strips of crispy bacon. Top the fillings with the second piece of bread so you have 4 sandwiches.
5. Heat a griddle or grill pan over medium heat.
6. Add the butter, a few teaspoons for each sandwich, and fry the sandwiches in batches until golden brown on the bottom, about 3 minutes. Flip the sandwiches (adding more butter) and cook until both sides are golden brown and the cheese has melted.
7. Transfer the sandwiches to a cutting board and slice each into 6 small pieces. (Kathy’s note: If you’d like to use your panini press, heat it to medium-high heat and grill the sandwiches with the lid closed until the cheese is melted and the bread is toasted, 4 to 5 minutes.)
8. Remove the soup from the heat. Using an immersion blender, puree the soup until completely smooth. Stir in (do not blend!) the heavy cream. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
9. Garnish with fresh basil leaves.
10. Serve the sandwiches hot alongside the tomato soup.