Grilled Cheese Sandwich with Red Onion Jam and Tomato Soup

This past Sunday I turned on the TV and went straight to the food network to watch the new weekend shows. The episode that was on was "What Would Brian Boitano Make?" which is a show that I have not seen yet. He grabbed my attention real quick with his red onion jam though. So that night I made grilled cheese for dinner with tomato soup just so I could try the jam. It turned out to be a very tasty add to a plain grilled cheese. My husband thought they were pickled onions which I guess I could see but it had a sweetness from the brown sugar that balanced out the vinegar. I made mine a little different since I did not have the same cheese he used or any fancy bread but honestly I felt the red onion jam is what made the recipe not the cheese or the type of bread. Below is the cheese that I used but you can go to his site and see the types of cheese he put on his sandwich. I think as long as you don't use American cheese you will find that you cannot go wrong with your choice in cheese. You also must remember to keep the heat on med-low when cooking the grilled cheese. If you are anything like me you will be standing over the stove staring down the soon to be grilled cheese willing the cheese to melt faster so that you can eat but you must resist turning up the heat. Low and slow is key when you are using thick slices of cheese, otherwise you will end up with a burnt sandwich and solid cheese in the center.

The tomato soup is just my jazzed up version of canned soup. For some reason I don't like tomato soup straight from the can, I have to have the tomato chunks. Before I got my immersion blender I made the soup without blending it and it is fine that way also. Now I just like playing with my new kitchen gadget, so I tend to find ways to use it as much as possible.


Grilled Cheese

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large red onion, sliced
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 3 tablespoons water
  
• 4 slices of muenster
• 4 slices mild cheddar cheese
  
• 4 slices Irish Swiss cheese
  
• 4 tablespoons margarine/butter
• 8 slices of bread

1. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add the onions and cook until soft and translucent about 10 to 15 minutes. Add the sugar, red wine vinegar and 3 tablespoons water and cook until the liquid is reduced completely and the onions are caramelized, about 10 minutes. Set aside.
2. Butter the outside of each slice of bread and arrange, butter side down, on a sheet pan. Put a slice of muenster onto a slice of the buttered bread, then a piece of cheddar. Top with a heaping tablespoon of the onion jam, and a slice of Swiss. Cover it another slice of bread.
   
3. Heat a large skillet over medium-low heat. Put the sandwiches into the skillet and cook until the bread is toasted and golden and cheese is melted, about 4 minutes per side. Slice each sandwich in half and serve.

Tomato Soup

• 1 (14 oz) can condensed tomato soup
• 1 can of water
  
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
  
• 1 med onion, chopped
• 1 (14oz) can diced tomatoes
• 1/4 tsp. thyme
• 1/4 tsp. oregano
• 1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
• 1/4 tsp. coriander
  
• salt
• pepper

1. In a large pot saute onion and garlic until tender, about 5 minutes. Add condensed tomato soup, water and herbs and stir to combine. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer covered for 15 minutes.
2. Pour soup into a blender or use a immersion blender to puree the soup until smooth. Add diced tomatoes, salt and pepper to taste. Allow to cook an additional 10 minutes. Serve hot.