Grilling Some Cheese And Making Soup

Happy New Year! As I mentioned in an earlier post I received an indoor grill (think George Foreman) for Christmas. So I decided to use it for tonight's recipe. It has been awhile since I have actually cooked something, but I have been crazy busy with the holidays. Now that they are over I can focus on my cooking once again.

For tonight I made Grilled Cheese and Kale Sandwiches with Tomato Soup! You wouldn't think this would be good, but I was wrong! The tomato soup in this recipe is homemade! And it was very easy to make and very tasty! I don't like canned tomato soup, which is weird because I love tomatoes, but this tomato soup was actually quite tasty! This soup has carrots in it, so it adds a little bit of sweetness but it so good. I enjoyed blending the soup with the stick blender -- that was kind of fun!

The sandwiches were easy to make and very tasty! I am always looking for new ways to kick up my grilled cheese sandwiches and this definitely kicked it up! The cheese in this sandwich is havarti cheese, which is a white cheese. It is a little saltier and heartier than your typical monterey jack cheese. Each sandwich has two slices of cheese with the kale (which you cook prior to putting on the sandwich) in between. Two slices is more than enough because it is strong cheese. The bread is also a multi-grain bread which is healthier than your standard white. I must say I was quite surprised at how much I enjoyed this sandwich! I am not a fan of wheat bread, but I love it in this. I also loved my grill because I used it like a panini press. I didn't have to babysit the sandwich and flip it -- I put on the grill, waited three minutes, and pulled it off and ate it! I also got the nice grill marks in the bread too!

The best part of this meal was dipping the sandwich into the soup! The combination of all the flavors really make it! This dish is a great way to introduce kids to a different kind of cheese and veggies while maintaining the classic grilled cheese sandwich and soup fare!

Vegetarians and carnivores will like this dish! It is very hearty and perfect for cold winter day!

This recipe and the ones coming up all come from the February 2011 "Everyday With Rachael Ray" magazine. There will be somethings that I cook this week that I have never cooked on my own such as flank steak and tilapia! Stay tuned for this month's culinary adventures!

Grilled Cheese and Kale Sandwich With Tomato Soup: