Hack Your Grilled Cheese And Tomato Soup With A Waffle Iron

Grilled cheese and tomato soup just might be the epitome of comfort food for many people. But that doesn't mean you can't improve it from time to time. Grown-up tastes may dictate adding fresh basil leaves, red peppers, carrots, or even apples to the tomato soup. Or, upgrade the sandwich itself with artisan bread, a variety of cheeses, and unexpected ingredients like bacon, tomatoes, marinated onions, and more. And why stop there when you can take your grilled cheese to a new level by cooking it in your waffle iron?

Skip the stove next time and use this hack for a genuinely extraordinary sandwich that will transform how you look at grilled cheese from here on out. But wait, there's more! Instead of serving your tomato soup in a bowl, pour it over the waffle-shaped sandwich. Not only will the crispy bread hold up against the soup better than the pan-grilled stuff you're used to dipping with, but the honeycomb squares created by the waffle maker will act as the perfect little pockets for the soup.

Using a waffle iron to toast your grilled cheese sandwich is a lot like using a panini press. You won't have to flip the sandwich at all and it will be done in a matter of minutes. It should also be evenly done on both sides.

You're going to want to preheat the waffle iron, of course. And be sure to prepare the bread the same way you would if you were grilling it on the stove, meaning you'll want a nice coating of butter or mayo outside. This will keep the bread from sticking and help it crisp up nicely. Once your sandwich is assembled, just plop it into the hot waffle iron and let the countertop appliance do all the work. Clean off any cheese that may ooze out right away after the sandwich is done so that it doesn't have time to harden. Be sure to use a damp towel instead of any kind of metal utensil that may scratch the waffle iron's nonstick coating.

You can always dip your waffle-toasted ultimate grilled cheese sandwich in tomato soup, the same as traditional grilled cheese, but where's the fun in that? Sloshing the soup on like syrup seems like a way more enjoyable experience, anyway. Doing so doesn't necessarily mean you will have to eat it with a fork and a knife (after all, who hasn't known someone to pick up a toaster waffle and eat it with their bare hands?) But it will be cleaner that way and add an air of sophistication to the former finger food. So break out the silverware and dig in!

Cutting your tomato soup-doused sandwich into bite-size pieces will undoubtedly be a new experience. Doing so elevates the conventional grilled cheese and tomato soup comfort food from a lunchtime staple to something that will feel substantial enough for dinner. Pour yourself a glass of Chianti to go with it and experience the complete adulthood upgrade on a childhood favorite.