Description
A comforting and hearty Grilled Cheese & Tomato Soup Bake combining creamy basil-spread sandwiches layered with mozzarella and baked in a rich, thickened tomato soup mixture topped with Italian cheese for a warm, satisfying 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
- 1/2 cup tomato paste
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1-3/4 cups 2% milk
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup shredded Italian cheese blend or part-skim mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- Prepare Sandwiches: Preheat oven to 350°. In a small bowl, mix reduced-fat cream cheese and 1 teaspoon of dried basil until well blended. Spread this mixture evenly onto 6 slices of bread. Top each with a slice of part-skim mozzarella cheese, then cover with the remaining bread slices. Spread the outside of each sandwich with softened butter. Arrange all sandwiches in a greased 13×9-inch baking dish.
- Make Tomato Soup Mixture: In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine tomato paste, minced garlic, salt, pepper, and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of dried basil. Cook and stir for 1 minute to release flavors. Gradually whisk in the 2% milk and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook uncovered for 4-5 minutes or until the mixture thickens, stirring frequently to prevent scorching. Remove from heat.
- Mix Egg and Soup Base: In a large bowl, whisk the eggs thoroughly. Gradually whisk in one-third of the warm tomato soup mixture to temper the eggs. Stir in the remaining tomato soup mixture until well combined.
- Assemble and Bake: Pour the egg and tomato soup mixture evenly over the arranged sandwiches in the baking dish. Sprinkle the top with the shredded Italian cheese blend or part-skim mozzarella cheese. Bake uncovered in the preheated oven for 30 minutes until the dish is golden brown and the cheese is melted and bubbly.
- Serve: Remove the bake from the oven and allow it to stand for 10 minutes before serving to set and cool slightly.
Notes
- Use Italian, sourdough, or rye bread for best texture and flavor.
- To make it vegetarian, ensure the Italian cheese blend contains no animal rennet.
- You can substitute whole milk for 2% milk for a richer dish.
- For a stronger basil flavor, use fresh basil but reduce the quantity to about 1 teaspoon finely chopped.
- Letting the bake rest before serving helps it firm up for easier slicing.
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 g
- Carbohydrates: 35 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 18 g
- Cholesterol: 110 mg
