Monday, October 27, 2025
Today I am thankful for the simple joys of the comfort foods of youth. Depicted, a grilled cheese sandwich, but there are many, many foods that fit this category. Grilled cheese was something mom used to make, and pair with tomato soup. Warm and filling for a kiddo's chilly weather hunger.
I know I already put out a gratitude post about full bellies and clean water and about my upbringing... this one is sort of a specific of the full bellies one, combined with memories of my mom serving it up at lunchtime. If you can believe it, when I was in grade school, we lived close enough to come home for lunch, and we did, thus getting a hot meal.
Nowadays, when the weather starts to turn, I start to make this for myself.
You know, my mom did make grilled cheese but never paired tomato soup with it. I hadn't heard of that until I started reading others blogs. Enjoy!
ReplyDeleteMaybe it's a regional thing? Ever pair chili soup with a Cinnamon roll? That's a big thing around here, but seems strange to most people.
DeleteNope can't say I have heard of that one either. On the other hand, my mom could be pretty different - LOL.
DeleteThis was a local pairing... They even served them together as a school lunch.
DeleteOhhhhhhh a favorite of mine, too! Grilled cheese, all warm and gooey and tomato soup!
ReplyDeleteWe lived close enough to go home for lunch! But we didn’t do it all the time. We wanted our recess time, too. So we’d eat and hike back to school for 10 minutes of recess time.
Your grilled cheese makes me hungry for it.
hugs
barb
I hope you had a chance to indulge. I didn't have any tomato soup on hand, so just enjoyed the grilled cheese.
DeleteYES! Had grilled cheese and tomato soup. Had some canned tomatoes, catsup and a little BBQ sauce, add some milk and voila. So good.
DeleteToo funny! That is exactly what my husband requested for dinner last night…yep, GC and tomato soup! Yum! ( Eissa7) Karen
ReplyDeleteYou know what they say about great minds, Karen!
DeleteA little history.... During WWII, the hearty grilled cheese sandwich was further paired with tomato soup in government institutions, military mess halls, and school lunch rooms, to balance the meal with vitamins and nutrients from the fruit.
ReplyDeleteRead More: https://www.foodrepublic.com/1488429/grilled-cheese-tomato-soup-pairing-history
From Mr. Google Chrome AI-The tangy, acidic tomato soup cuts through the richness of the melted cheese and butter, while the soup's flavor is enhanced by umami from the glutamic acid in tomatoes. Additionally, the casein proteins in cheese release compounds that can create a calming effect, contributing to the dish's comforting appeal.
There are other sources of information for the same thing, but not necessary for me because I find the pairing delicious!!!!!
I've had many different kinds of cheeses grilled, but in our house, it's American cheese. I know, that's not "real" cheese. DH loves it. I prefer a combination of cheddar and muenster...gooey!
I, too, have tried many different cheeses in my grill sandwich. At one point we even had a downtown lunch place that specialized in grilled cheese, but it couldn't make a go of it. Sigh. I only ate there twice, and I miss having the option.
DeleteLOL at the deep dive on why the flavor combination is so great. For the geek in us!