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Bacon Grilled Cheese & Tomato Sandwiches with Tomato Soup

Perfectly toasted grilled cheese sandwiches, stuffed with crispy bacon and fresh tomatoes, dipped into steaming hot bowls of creamy homemade tomato soup…if this sounds appealing to you, try this recipe at home. While these sandwiches do contain a lot of butter & cheese, the richness is balanced by the acidity provided by fresh tomatoes and pickled red onion.
The recipe below provides soup and sandwiches for 4 people, and can easily be scaled up or down. Make some extra tomato soup if you want leftovers for later in the week!

Ingredients

For the Tomato Soup:

  • ½ cup olive oil
  • 2 Tbsp salted butter
  • 1 large white onion, small dice
  • 3 cups tomato puree
  • 2 tsp white granulated sugar
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • Kosher salt, to taste
  • Freshly-ground black pepper, to taste

For the Bacon Grilled Cheese & Tomato Sandwiches:

  • 8 slices thick-cut bacon, cooked to crispy and drained on paper towels
  • ¼ red onion, cut into thin 1/8” slices
  • 2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
  • 1 tsp honey
  • ¼ tsp dried oregano
  • 2 Roma tomatoes, cut into 6 slices each 12 slices total
  • ½ tsp kosher salt
  • 8 slices sourdough sandwich bread
  • 8 Tbsp salted butter
  • 8 slices yellow American cheese
  • 4 slices Pepper Jack or Cheddar cheese

Instructions

For the Tomato Soup:

  • Heat oil in a medium-sized soup pot or Dutch oven until warm.
  • Add 2 Tbsp salted butter and 1 large diced white onion.
  • Cook on medium heat for 10 minutes, or until the onions are translucent.
  • Add 3 cups tomato puree, 2 tsp white granulated sugar, and 2 cloves of garlic and cook on low heat for 30 minutes.
  • Add heavy cream and blend until smooth.
  • Taste and adjust for salt for black pepper.

For the Bacon Grilled Cheese & Tomato Sandwiches:

  • For the Bacon Grilled Cheese & Tomato Sandwiches:
  • Set cooked bacon aside to drain on paper towels.
  • Combine the sliced onion in a small bowl with the red wine vinegar, honey, and dried oregano, and mix to incorporate.
  • Allow onion to sit in this pickling mixture for 15 minutes while you prepare your bacon grilled cheese & tomato sandwiches.
  • Allow onion to sit in this pickling mixture for 15 minutes while you prepare your bacon grilled cheese & tomato sandwiches.
  • Cut Roma tomatoes to get 12 slices total.
  • Salt your tomatoes lightly and let them drain on paper towels.
  • Butter each side of sourdough bread.
  • Turn griddle or skillet to medium high and very lightly toast the first side of each slice of bread, cooking the first side to a very lightly golden-brown color.
  • *This toasted first side of bread will be on the inside of your grilled cheese sandwiches, touching the cheese. The untoasted side of the bread will be toasted later, after the sandwiches are assembled.
  • Assemble sandwiches with the slices of cheese, the drained tomato, the crispy bacon, and some drained pickled onions.
  • Toast the outsides of your assembled sandwiches until they are golden brown and the cheese has melted.
  • Serve up bacon grilled cheese & tomato sandwiches with the hot tomato soup from earlier.

Notes

Invite friends over and serve this amazing combination up for lunch on a cold, rainy day.