Soup and Bread

I started a new job recently and have had much (MUCH) less time on my hands, which means I haven't really cooked much lately.  Something else it means is that I have been wanting to eat things that are easy to make, warm and filling, and delicious.  That means soup!  I've had 2 different soups in the last few days, one I've made and one I've bought.  But before I get to that, let's discuss the perfect accompaniment to soup.  Whether grilled with melty cheese in the center, or just lightly toasted, I love me some bread with my soup.  I actually am not the greatest at making grilled cheese sandwiches.  I usually am not patient enough to make proper grilled cheese.  I've learned a few things from friends that have helped me though, and I am getting better at it.

I actually prefer to use basic sandwich bread for my grilled cheese, and I pre-heat my skillet to a medium heat.  Once the pan is hot, I spray the pan with some non-stick spray (instead of butter, it's just easier and healthier, and I don't even miss the butter) and plop down 2 slices of bread.  In a minute or two, I flip one slice over and spray the opposite side of the other slice with the non-stick spray.  I put the second slice non-toasted side down into the pan, slap down a couple slices of american cheese (hey, I can't always be a purist...) and top with the first slice of bread.  This is where the most important tip comes in: cover the sandwich with a lid while it finishes toasting.  This will help the cheese melt all the way through to the center.   That's it, that's how I make my grilled cheese.

Now for the soups: one of my favorites is Trader Joe's Organic Tomato and Roasted Red Pepper Soup.   I love tomato soup and I love roasted red peppers so the combination of the two is perfection.  If you've never tried it, I HIGHLY recommend it!  The other one I made tonight.  My mom's recipe of Chicken Corn Chowder. I had some frozen corn from last summer's fresh harvest on the family farm and a couple of chicken breasts that we grilled a few weeks ago, also frozen, so it only made sense.  I called my mom last night for the recipe and made it tonight after I got off work.  Since my chicken was already cooked, it only took me about 15 minutes to make the soup.  Here's the scoop:

Chicken Corn Chowder

3 T butter
1/4 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 1/2 lb chicken breasts, cut into bite sized pieces
1 t cumin
2 c half and half
1 c water
2 t instant chicken bouillon
1 16 ounce can creamed corn
1 4 ounce can green chiles
1 cup shredded monterey jack cheese

Saute the onion and garlic until translucent and soft.  Add in the chicken, cumin, water and bouillon and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes, until the chicken is cooked.  Stir in the corn, chiles, half and half and cheese.  Heat until warmed through and the cheese is melty.  Top fresh tomatoes, sour cream, fresh diced avocado, crushed tortilla chips, whatever you like!