Description
A comforting and delicious Grilled Cheese & Tomato Soup Bake that combines creamy tomato soup with cheesy grilled sandwiches baked to golden perfection, perfect for a cozy meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Sandwiches
- 3 ounces reduced-fat cream cheese
- 1-1/2 teaspoons dried basil, divided
- 12 slices Italian, sourdough or rye bread (1/2 inch thick)
- 6 slices part-skim mozzarella cheese
- 6 tablespoons butter, softened
Tomato Soup Mixture
- 1/2 cup tomato paste
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1-3/4 cups 2% milk
Egg Mixture and Topping
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup shredded Italian cheese blend or part-skim mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- Prepare the oven and sandwiches: Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. In a small bowl, combine the cream cheese and 1 teaspoon dried basil until smooth. Spread this mixture evenly onto 6 slices of bread. Top each with a slice of part-skim mozzarella cheese and cover with the remaining 6 bread slices to form sandwiches. Spread the softened butter on the outside of each sandwich. Arrange the sandwiches in a greased 13×9-inch baking dish.
- Make the tomato soup mixture: In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine tomato paste, minced garlic, salt, pepper, and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon dried basil. Cook and stir for 1 minute. Gradually whisk in the 2% milk, then bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 4 to 5 minutes or until thickened, stirring frequently. Remove from heat.
- Combine eggs and soup mixture: In a large bowl, whisk the eggs thoroughly. Gradually add one-third of the warm tomato soup mixture into the eggs while whisking to temper them, then stir in the remaining soup mixture completely.
- Assemble and bake: Pour the egg and soup mixture evenly over the sandwiches in the baking dish. Sprinkle the shredded Italian cheese blend on top. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the top is golden brown.
- Rest and serve: Remove from the oven and let stand for 10 minutes before serving to allow the bake to set for better slicing and serving.
Notes
- Use any hearty bread like sourdough, Italian, or rye to prevent sogginess during baking.
- Tempering the eggs with warm soup mixture prevents curdling for a creamy texture.
- Feel free to substitute the Italian cheese blend with all mozzarella or a mix of your favorite cheeses for variation.
- Letting the bake rest after cooking helps it firm up and enhances flavor melding.
- You can prepare the sandwiches a few hours ahead and refrigerate before baking for convenience.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 350 kcal
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 600 mg
- Fat: 15 g
- Saturated Fat: 8 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5 g
- Trans Fat: 0.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 35 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 18 g
- Cholesterol: 90 mg
