the good ol' soup & sandwich

So for those of you who enjoy the winter months not because of the colder weather but because of the warm food that comes with it- this post is for you! One of my favorite meals to make in the winter is soup and grilled cheese, which typically consists of something campbell's with the regular bread and cheese. However, last night I felt inspired and wanted to try something new. I got online and found a reciepe for sweet potato and rosemary soup and ham and apple panini's.

Not bad right? ;)

So here's how it went:

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 large or 6 small shallots, thinly sliced
• 2 to 3 cloves garlic, minced
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 pounds (about 2 to 3) sweet potatoes, peeled, trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 2 (6-inch long) stems fresh rosemary
• 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1/2 cup mascarpone cheese, at room temperature

Directions

In an 8-quart stockpot, melt the butter and oil together over medium-high heat. Add the shallots and garlic. Season with salt and pepper and cook until soft, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the sweet potatoes, rosemary and chicken broth. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer until the sweet potatoes are very tender, about 20 to 25 minutes. Turn off the heat and remove the rosemary stems. Using an immersion blender (or regular blender), blend the mixture until smooth and thick. Whisk in the mascarpone cheese until smooth. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Keep the soup warm over low heat until ready to serve.

I couldn't have asked for this to turn out better. I followed the recipe exactly except I forgot to pink up some mascarpone cheese so I used about 2Tbs cream cheese and 2Tbs sour cream. I actually even added a little sour cream after I began eating. If you like sweet potatos, you'll like this soup.

Now on to the sandwich!

I'd never tried apple with a savory dish, but this recipe sounded promising:

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 2 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and cut into 1/4-inch thick slices
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
• 8 (1/2-inch) thick slices country-style white bread
• 1/2 cup whole-grain mustard
• 2 cups (8 ounces) shredded Gruyere
• 8 slices (8-ounces) Black Forest ham

• Special equipment: a panini press

Directions

In a 12-inch skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the apple slices and thyme. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the apples are slightly soft, about 4 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes.

Preheat a panini press. Spread each bread slice with 1 tablespoon mustard. Arrange 1/4 cup of cheese on each of 4 bread slices and top with 2 slices of ham. Divide the apple mixture evenly on top of the ham. Add the remaining cheese and cover with the remaining 4 bread slices. Grill in the panini press until the cheese has melted and the tops are golden and crispy, about 5 to 6 minutes.

I did a few things different as I was going through the steps. The only thing I did with the apples that the recipe called for was peeling and slicing, I didn't saute them. I wanted the crisp crunch of the tart apple, and I'm glad I left it that way. And actually, I don't even have a panini press, so I just wrapped a brick in foil and left it on the sandwich as it cooked.

I was floored by the way the sandwich turned out also! The apple was a great compliment to the cheese which, as a side note for those who are a little broke (like me): gruyere is a fancy name for expensive. Swiss cheese will do just fine :)

Not bad huh?

For a great cold winter's dinner, give your old soup and grilled cheese a makeover ;) Enjoy!

Chels