Classic Tomato Soup and Grilled Cheese Sandwich

I ask you, is there anything better than a Grilled Cheese Sandwich? 

I answer you, No.  There is not. 

Unless that grilled cheese sandwich is paired with tomato soup, then it's better, it's delicious and it's classic.  Those are two things that I really, really like.

After days of almost-Spring weather, yesterday turned windy and cold... again.  Warm soup and a comforting grilled cheese was the perfect remedy.  For the tomato soup, I started with a mirepoix, which is a fancy way of saying I sauteed carrots, celery and onions, but mirepoix is so.. French.  I love it.  Anyway, I started with sauteing vegetables then added a little bit of garlic and poured two 28 ounce cans of crushed tomatoes and stirred to combine.  I added 3 1/2 cups of vegetable broth, a tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper, thyme, and cayenne pepper for heat.  Once all the ingredients were combined, I reduced the heat and simmered, covered, for 20 minutes. 

While the soup was simmerin' away, I started the grilled cheese.  Now, this wasn't you're normal grilled cheese.  This grilled cheese had gumption.  Bacon, tomatoes, cheddar and blue cheese combined into warm, melty bliss on rustic whole wheat bread. 

Oh, and I fried bacon for the first time.  Ever.  I'm a self-proclaimed Southern Girl who believes everything is better with bacon, duh, and yesterday, at 24 years old, I fried my first batch.  So that's how the sandwich started.  I fried bacon, then assembled the sandwich by putting cheddar on both sides of the bread, then the tomatoes, then the bacon, and then the crumbly blue cheese.  I grilled it on each side like a normal grilled cheese, but since there was so much going on in there, I finished it under the broiler so that the cheese got good and melted.

I served the soup with the sandwich and a glass of Chardonnay and had a lovely, warm evening watching Grey's Anatomy Season 3, also known as the season where everything goes wrong.  Those people....

Yum.

Oh my. 

So.  Dang.  Good.

Hope your weekend was warm and cozy like mine.  I have some (much needed) time off this week and am really looking forward to cooking, eating, and enjoying myself.  Happy President's Day to you.