Creamy Tomato & Goat Cheese Soup with Grilled cheese & Ham & Tomato Sandwich

Simple! And since I use olive oil for my grilled cheese instead of butter, it's not as unhealthy as one would think :-)

What you need:
One 28 oz can of crushed tomatoes
Goat Cheese (If you don't like this, you can use Creme Fraiche, Greek Yogurt, or Mascarpone Cheese)
Salt, Pepper, Fresh or Dried Basil to taste

Sourdough, Italian, or any kind of bread you like
Medium sliced Ham (or bacon, turkey or any meat you like)
Tomato Slices
Colby-Jack Cheese Slices
Olive Oil

What you need to do:
In a medium sized sauce pan, add the can of crushed tomatoes over medium heat and add the salt and pepper, stir and cover until the soup bubbles, once it does lower the heat to low. Slice the goat cheese (If it's a log) into about a 2 inch slice (or 2-3 tablespoons) and then add to the soup. Add the basil, maybe 1/2 a teaspoon, stir until the cheese is incorporated and cover. Let the soup cook for 10 minutes.

Carefully add the soup into a blender, add the lid and then cover the lid with a dish towel. (the soup is hot and some may leak out of the top once you begin to blend it) Keep pulsing until the soup is well blended.

For the sandwich, add the tomatoes, (salt and pepper them) add one slice of ham and three slices of the cheese. Add some olive oil to the outside of the top slice of the bread.

In a small frying pan add olive oil over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add the oiled side of the bread facing down and press down on the other side of the bread firmly with a spatula. Once you see the cheese begin to melt, about 60-90 seconds, let go of the spatula and oil the top slice of bread. Flip over and press firmly with the spatula for 60 seconds. As soon as the sandwich is plated, slice it in half and enjoy!

Grilled cheese w/ham and tomato

Plain Grilled Cheese Sandwich

 Creamy Tomato and Goat Cheese Soup