Grilled Cheese & Tomato Soup Shooters
Makes about 12 shooters

Grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup pair to make the ultimate comfort food combo. We love noshing on these familiar flavors with our favorite people during the holidays. Our tip for enjoying this appetizer is to serve both the soup and sandwich strips while piping hot.

Grilled Cheese Ingredients:
6 slices, thick, artisan white bread
6 tablespoons butter for grilling the sandwiches
6 oz. cheddar cheese, coarsely grated
6 oz. pepper jack cheese, coarsely grated

Tomato Soup Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
1 onion, finely minced
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 shallot, finely minced
4 cups chicken broth
1 (28 oz.) can of whole tomatoes, roughly crushed
2 bay leaves
2 sprigs of fresh thyme
Kosher salt & freshly ground pepper to taste
1/2 cup heavy cream (or half 'n half)
Basil leaves, sliced for garnishing

Directions:
1. In a large soup pot, over medium high heat, sauté the onion and shallot in the olive oil and butter until translucent. Add the garlic, and sauté until fragrant about an additional minute.

2. Add the chicken broth, tomatoes, and herbs. Simmer for 20 minutes.

3. Remove from the soup from heat and carefully blend in batches in a blender or with an immersion hand blender.

4. Return the blended soup to heat, and stir in the cream. Salt and pepper to taste.

5. Meanwhile, assemble the grilled cheese sandwiches by generously buttering one slice of each bread slice. Heap the shredded cheeses on the unbuttered side of 3 of the bread slices. Top with each with the remaining 3 slices, buttered side out. Grill on medium-low head until each side is golden brown and the cheeses nicely melted. Slice each grilled cheese sandwich into 4 or 5 long strips.

6. Carefully fill small glasses with the tomato soup. Insert a sliced strip of the grilled cheese sandwich. Garnish with shreds of fresh basil leaves. Serve hot!