Friday, January 13, 2012

Quick & Easy Weeknight Cheater Meal



Sourdough bread bowl filled with creamy tomato soup, and a grilled cheese sandwich on the side:


So this isn't exactly a 'recipe', but I still thought everyone would appreciate this quick meal idea. It's perfect for a night that you work late, or you'r just getting home from an out of town trip, or when you've been out doing errands all day, or when you find out at the last minute that your husband invited guests over when you didn't have anything planned yet ;) ... etc. 


There's no cooking, really, and it is actually quite gourmet looking and tasting!


Stop at the market on your way home and buy just three things, then assemble at home and voile- a very 'gourmet' dinner in no time at all!


Shopping List:


  • Individual-sized round loaves of Sourdough bread, 1 per person (they have them at Trader Joe's, they are also at the bakery of your supermarket)
  • Creamy Tomato soup, I LOVE the "Roasted Red Pepper & Tomato" soup that comes in a carton from Trader Joes (I've tried to home-make it, but it hasn't passed the taste test yet. Once I hit a version that's worthy I will share it with you... but for now- it still needs tweaking, so store-bought it is!)
  • Muenster Cheese, (or your favorite variety for grilled cheese sandwiches)
  • (If you don't have some salad makings at home, you can also grab a bag of spinach or a pre-made salad to serve on the side)
Visualize a circle on the top of your bread loaf, and cut out a cylinder from each bread loaf to create a bread bowl. 
*Helpful Hint: Don't point your knife straight down. Instead, hold your knife at an outward angle to slice along the outsides of the bread loaf... get it? I feel like that might be confusing... Basically, the bottom of the bread "cork" you pull out will be bigger than the top of it. 
Also, be cautious not to puncture through the bread.

Using your hands, pull the bread "cork" out carefully so as not to squish it too. much. Take this cylinder of bread and trim up the rough bottom, then slice it into round slices of bread for making the grilled cheese sandwich.

Toast the bread bowl in the oven. While the bowls are toasting, heat the soup in a pot on the stove, and lightly butter your sourdough bread slices and grill them in a frying pan on each side before adding the slice of Muenster to make a very 'gourmet' grilled cheese :)
Grate a little Asiago or Parmesan on top,
and in only about 5-10 minutes, you have a very simple yet impressive meal :)

Look at how yummy that is when the soup slowly soaks into the soft, warm insides of the bowl!

Serve with a spinach side salad for a well-rounded meal.

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