IT IS A TRUTH universally acknowledged that grilled cheese and tomato soup is the quintessential comfort-food combo. So, the ideal recipe needs to be easy and leisurely, full stop. Enter the sheet pan. Yep, that hero of weeknight suppers is also the secret to prepping the world’s lowest-effort soup […]

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IT IS A TRUTH universally acknowledged that grilled cheese and tomato soup is the quintessential comfort-food combo. So, the ideal recipe needs to be easy and leisurely, full stop. Enter the sheet pan. Yep, that hero of weeknight suppers is also the secret to prepping the world’s lowest-effort soup and sandwich. The only other must-haves? A blender and some flexible pantry staples. From there, it’s just broil, blend, crunch, slurp.

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Sheet-Pan Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup

Total Time: 45 minutes

serves: 2

Amy Leonard

Ingredients

For the tomato soup:

• 1 (28-ounce can) peeled whole tomatoes, drained and juice reserved, or 20 ounces cherry tomatoes
• 1 large yellow onion, peeled and quartered
• ½ cup plus 1 tablespoon olive oil, plus more for drizzling
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 head garlic, ¼-inch sliced off top

For the grilled cheese:

• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 4 slices white bread or thinly sliced sourdough
• 8 slices Cheddar, Swiss and/or American cheese, or 1⅓ cups shredded
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees and set rack in upper third.
2. Make the soup: Spread tomatoes and onions on a sheet pan. Drizzle with ¼ cup oil until everything is well-coated. Season with salt and pepper. Set garlic on a square of aluminum foil, drizzle with 1 tablespoon oil, wrap tightly and place on pan. Roast, turning once, until tomatoes are dark-red and jammy and onions are soft, about 40 minutes.
3. When the tomatoes have been roasting for 30 minutes, begin to make the sandwiches: Place 2 tablespoons butter on another sheet pan. Transfer to oven to melt butter, 2-3 minutes. Spread remaining butter on one side of bread slices. Place slices, buttered-side down, on heated pan. Top each with 2 slices cheese or ⅓ cup shredded cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Bake until cheese melts and bread begins to brown at edges, about 8 minutes. Remove from oven and press bread slices together to make 2 sandwiches.
4. To finish soup, quickly transfer hot onions and tomatoes to a blender along with ¼ cup oil and reserved juices from can, if using canned tomatoes, plus any drippings from pan. Unwrap garlic and, once cool enough to handle, squeeze cloves from skins into blender. (If you prefer a milder flavor, use only a few cloves. Reserve the rest for another use.) Season with salt and pepper. Blend on high until completely smooth, 30-60 seconds.
5. Turn on broiler. Broil sandwiches until crusty and golden, 1 minute.
6. To serve, divide soup between two bowls. Remove sandwiches from oven, slice and serve immediately.

—Adapted from Sarah Karnasiewicz

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