Tomato Soup & [Baked] Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

[recipe title="Tomato Soup & Grilled Cheese Sandwiches" servings="4" time="20 minutes" difficulty="easy" description="Classic American comfort food! If you're cooking for more than two people, bake the 'grilled' cheese sandwiches. They will all be hot and ready at the same time."]

Ingredients - Soup

• 2 cups Pureed tomatoes

• 1 cup water

• 1 Tbsp Italian Seasoning (or dried basil)

• 1 bay leaf

• salt, pepper and honey to taste

Instructions - Soup

1. Pour tomato puree into medium pot over low-medium heat.

2. Add one cup water to tomato container. Swirl around to get remaining tomato puree, and pour into pot.

3. Add herbs and bay leaf.

4. Let simmer five minutes (or more -- now is a good time to make the sandwiches) for herbs to soften and flavors to meld.

5. Add salt, pepper, and honey to taste. The honey balances out the salt and the acidity.

Ingredients - Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

• 8 slices of bread

• 16 slices of cheese (cheddar, mozzarella, provolone, jack)

• butter, softened

Instructions - Grilled Cheese Sandwiches in Oven

1. Preheat oven to 400F.

2. Prepare baking tray with aluminum foil.

3. Butter four slices of bread, and place butter-side down on baking tray.

4. Place cheese slices and bread slice on top of each buttered bread. Generously butter the top slices.

5. Put rack in high position in oven. Bake for 5 minutes. Flip and bake for 5 more minutes.

Instructions - Grilled Cheese on the Stove

1. Heat skillet on medium-high heat.

2. Butter two slices of bread and place one butter-side down on skillet. Top with cheese slices and second slice of bread -- butter-side up.

3. Cook for five minutes, or until cheese is sticking the two bread slices together.

4. Flip sandwich and brown on the other side.