Meatless Lenten Friday: Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup

A meatless family favorite that only takes about 15 minutes to throw together is grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup.

First, start with making the soup. This cream of tomato soup is so much tastier than Campbell's* - but just as easy!

Cream of Tomato Soup

• 1 can (12 ounces) tomato paste
• 3 tomato paste cans milk
• 2 teaspoons celery seed
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 tomato paste can heavy cream

1. Whisk tomato paste, milk, celery seed, and salt in a large saucepan together until smooth. Heat over medium heat until almost boiling, stirring frequently, but do not boil.

2. Reduce heat to low and whisk in heavy cream. Serve when heated through. Do not allow to boil. Yield: 6 servings.

While the soup heats, make the grilled cheese sandwiches.

Classic Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

• 12 slices sturdy white bread
• 6 slices American cheese
• 6 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, sliced or grated
• 1 stick butter, melted

1. Heat griddle to medium-high. Assemble 6 sandwiches by laying one piece of American cheese on one slice of bread, then add one ounce of cheddar. Top with another slice of bread. Brush each side of the 6 sandwiches with melted butter.

2. Cook sandwiches on hot griddle for about 2 minutes on each side, until cheese is melted and bread is toasted a golden brown. (Do not press down or flatten sandwiches with spatula!)

Yield: 6 sandwiches. 

Mmmm....grilled cheese and tomato soup complement each other perfectly!

*True story: After Whitney was married and running her own household, she kept making Campbell's tomato soup but could never understand why it didn't turn out the way she remembered it tasting when growing up. She did remember me opening a can and making soup on the stove - whatever could she be doing wrong by just dumping in a can of soup, adding milk, and heating it?

One day recently, I started making tomato soup while she was visiting, and she exclaimed, "So that's how you do it!" I didn't realize I had never passed on my "secret recipe" to her. Now she knows how to make tomato soup the "right" way. :)