Grilled Cheese with Balsamic Red Onions {Favorites}
and pureed sweet potato soup
This grilled cheese was the first one I ever featured, and I was nervous that folks would think it was too simple. Clearly you all proved me wrong. Folks loved the addition of the balsamic onions and also the sweet jam. This sandwich is sure to please adults and kids.
Ingredients
- Garlic - 2 cloves, minced
- Onion - 1, chopped
- Sweet potato - 1 1/2 lbs, chopped
- Olive oil - 2 Tbsp
- Chicken stock - 4 to 6 cups
- Red onions - 1, sliced
- Cooking oil - 1 Tbsp
- Balsamic vinegar - 1 1/2 Tbsp
- Jam - 1 Tbsp + 1/2 cup
- Butter - 4 Tbsp
- Sandwich bread - 8 slices
- Fontina cheese - 8 slices ((swiss, gruyere, or brie would also be great options))
Nutrition Facts
Prep
- Red onions - {May already be done from yesterday} Prep as directed. (Can be done up to 3 days ahead)
- Make balsamic red onions - {May already be done from yesterday} Heat skillet over medium heat. Add cooking oil and then red onions to heated oil with a sprinkle of salt. Saute until they're super soft, ~10 minutes. If the pan ever looks dry and the onions look like they might burn, add in a splash of water. At the very end, add in balsamic vinegar and jam. Cook for another minute or two to let the flavors absorb. (Can be done up to 3 days ahead)
- Soup - Garlic / Onions / Sweet potatoes - Prep as directed. (Can be done up to 3 days ahead)
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Make
- Preheat oven to 350F (177C) degrees. Place a cooling rack into a sheet pan.
- Heat a >5 quart Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add olive oil and then minced garlic to heated oil. Once you can smell the garlic, add the chopped onions with a pinch of salt. Saute until slightly translucent and starting to soften, ~3 minutes.
- Add the sweet potatoes and enough broth / stock to cover all ingredients. Cover and bring to a boil and then simmer covered for 10 minutes.
- While soup is cooking, butter one side of each piece of bread with about 1/2 tbs. (7 ml) of butter each. Lay out the bread buttered-side down and place a slice of cheese on each. Layer with jam and balsamic onions. Close sandwiches.
- Heat up a griddle or a skillet over medium heat. Place sandwiches onto heated surface (as many as can fit) and press down throughout the grilling process with a spatula. Flip once the first side is golden, ~ 3 to 4 minutes. Move sandwiches onto cooling rack and keep warm until you're ready to eat.
- After soup cools down some, puree with an immersion blender. Season to taste with salt and pepper. If the soup needs more sweetness, turn to your standby sweeteners. If you want to give it an extra kick of winter, sprinkle on some cinnamon. Serve with your grilled cheese (and I bet that grilled cheese would be pretty good dipped into soup!).
Nutrition Facts
Reviews
Ratings
28 reviews
Four stars for the amazing grilled cheese. The soup was just mediocre. We used sourdough, provolone and blackberry jam for the sandwich. It was fantastic! The soup was bland. We added some garam masala and apple cider vinegar, which made it palatable but not great.
0 HelpfulMy comment is only for the soup (not a sandwich person). I don't know what was wrong, but the soup was pretty disgusting. It was like mashed sweet potatoes with too much water and not enough flavorings. I threw the whole batch out after a few bites.
0 HelpfulExcellent grilled cheese. I made the grilled cheese without the jam, it was sweet enough with the onions. I made a different sweet potato soup as this one sounded bland.
0 HelpfulWe just made the grilled cheese part. They were so delicious! I only used one slice of cheese, but next time I'd definitely use 2 slices.
0 Helpful