Is there any pairing more comforting than grilled cheese and tomato soup? The recipe below takes this classic combo and turns it into an all-in-one casserole that’s super easy to make.
Choose small, sweet cherry or grape tomatoes for this dish, as they have less juice than larger tomatoes and won’t make the casserole soggy. If you can’t find cherry tomatoes, you can also make the dish by broiling good-quality canned tomatoes instead.
INGRIDIENTS:
1 stick butter, melted
12 slices white bread
24 slices American cheese
4 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
1 cup half-and-half
1/4 cup mayonnaise
2 large eggs
salt and pepper
Preheat the broiler. Lay out six slices of bread, and brush them with butter. Broil about 2-4 minutes, until toasted and golden brown. Flip the slices over and top each with a slice of American cheese. Broil until the cheese is melted, about 2 minutes, and then make sandwiches. Repeat with the remaining bread slices and cheese until you have six sandwiches.
Arrange the sandwiches in a baking dish in an even layer.
Toss the tomatoes with salt and pepper, and scatter them on a baking sheet in an even layer. Broil about 5 minutes, until browned and beginning to caramelize. Evenly distribute the tomatoes over the sandwiches.
Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees.
Whisk together the half-and-half, mayonnaise, and eggs. Season with salt and pepper. Pour the custard over the sandwiches, cover with foil, and bake about 30 minutes, until the custard is mostly set. Remove the foil and continue baking about 15 minutes, until hot and bubbly. Let sit 5 minutes before serving.
