Bacon Tomato Soup and Ooey-Gooey Grilled Cheese season is here!

L.F.EAT!!!!

Sep 11, 2024

I’ve been making this tomato soup for years now and it never gets boring. My grown kids make this soup on a regular basis in their kitchens, and they tell me a lot of their friends follow my Souper Good House blog because of this soup…it’s so good. In my world, that’s a big win. I’ve done something right if my kids like to cook and an even bigger win that they’re good at it!

You’ll never make it any other way…Promise!

You don’t need to buy a can of tomato soup ever again with this recipe. It makes quite a bit and freezes really well. When soup season hits, I buy a big box of deli containers with lids online to freeze this bacon tomato soup, along with this Squash soup in a previous souper note. Frozen homemade delicious soups are a life saver when not in the mood to cook.

The Flavor: This combination of smoky bacon, tangy tomatoes, and cream cheese creates a savory, rich flavor you’ll never get in a canned condensed tomato soup. You’ll want to make a double batch to freeze and have on hand when you get the tomato soup and grilled cheese craving.

Recipe Options: There are so many delicious ways to make homemade bacon tomato soup. Switch up the seasonings, add extra vegetables or fresh herbs, and experiment with turkey bacon to make it low-fat. Having full control over the ingredients is one of the many benefits of home cooking.

Simple to Make: Using canned San Marzano whole peeled tomatoes and other easy grocery store ingredients makes it so easy to put together.

Easy Comfort Food: There’s nothing more comforting about a warm bowl of homemade soup and grilled cheese. It’s the perfect meal on a cold winter day or any time of year you need a delicious warm hug. Honestly, is there anything more comforting than a bowl of tomato soup and a buttery grilled cheese sandwich?

What You'll Need for Creamy Tomato Soup

1/2 pound of bacon
1 onion
4 garlic cloves
2 28oz cans of tomatoes-1 whole tomato can, 1 crushed tomato can
2 tsp of garlic salt
2 tsp of Cajun seasoning
2 tsp of dried oregano or any Italian seasoning combination
1 tbsp Garlic Boullion
2 bay leaves
24 oz chicken broth, vegetable broth, beef broth, or vegetable stock
8 oz jalapeno cream cheese, garlic-onion cream cheese, or regular cream cheese
parmesan cheese
bacon pieces, reserved
black pepper
Immersion blender, standup blender or food processor

I’d love a comment or 2 about these recipes! 👍👎 I welcome new, fresh ideas and helpful hints!

How To Make Easy Tomato Soup

Step One: Chop the onion and mince the garlic cloves. Cut the bacon into 1/2-inch pieces. Note: the easiest way to do this is to cut 1/2 a pound of a sliced bacon slab in half, then cut each half into half, and do one final cut through those halves.
Step Two: Place the bacon pieces in a Dutch oven or large soup pot. Fry the bacon over medium heat, stirring until the pieces start to turn golden brown. Scoop out half of the bacon and place the pieces on a paper towel lined plate. Plot excess bacon grease from the bottom of the pot with a paper towel leaving a film of grease on the Dutch oven bottom.
Step Three: Add the chopped onion and garlic to the bacon left in the Dutch oven. Fry until onions and garlic are soft. Add the seasonings: garlic salt, Cajun spice, and oregano, stir to combine, and mix well together.
Step Four: Add both cans of tomatoes, chicken broth, bay leaf, and garlic bouillon. Over medium-high heat, bring soup to a light rolling boil. Reduce heat and let simmer for at least 30 minutes.
Step Five: Pick out the bay leaves. Add the cream cheese in scoops or cubes. Blend using an immersion blender. Note: If using a regular blender or food processor, let the hot soup cool and blend in batches.
Step Six: Heat the soup again before you serve. Sprinkle the remaining bacon bits and grated Parmesan or Asiago cheese on individual bowls.

Souper Notes for Recipe

Instead of bacon substitute with ground beef, ground turkey, or frozen meatballs.
Make it meatless and add one cut-up potato in Step 4 for extra thickness.
Add some fresh cauliflower, carrots, roasted red peppers, jalapenos, or celery when sauteing onions and garlic.
Any kind of canned beans or corn would be delicious.
Top with a sprinkle of red pepper flakes, Crispy Roasted Jalapeno Chickpeas, Crunchy Curry Chickpeas, Homemade Croutons, French fried onions, or these Spicy Mini Crackers.

Speaking of buttery grilled cheese…

Best Air Fryer Grilled Cheese Sandwich Recipe

This Air Fryer Grilled Cheese Sandwich recipe is next-level delicious!

I love air fryer cooking for so many reasons and this grilled cheese is on the top 5 list.

No. 1…It’s 99% burn proof! I’m not joking! No more black char to pick off!

No. 2…the flavor, texture, and cheese goo is sinful!

No. 3…you can actually leave this sandwich to toast while the air fryer is doing it thing…no need to hover over a hot skillet!

No. 4…less mess to clean up since the air fryer only needs to be wiped out with a damp paper towel.

What you'll need...

sandwich bread: 2 slices of sourdough wheat bread
real butter, softened: 1 stick, 1/2 cup
garlic paste: 1 heaping tablespoon
cheese: 2 slices of sharp cheddar cheese, 1 slice of pepper jack cheese, and 1 slice of Swiss cheese.
Air Fryer

Thanks for reading Souper Notes! This easy comfort food is one of my top recipes, so please share with all your buddies.

Step 1: Mix Garlic Butter. Measure one heaping tablespoon of garlic paste. Mix garlic paste into the soft butter with the back of a spoon or a rubber spatula.
Step 2: Sandwich Assembly.
- While the air fryer is preheating, butter one side of each piece of bread. Spread the garlic butter evenly. Make sure to butter the edges.
- Layer the cheese slices on the buttered side of one piece of bread. Top with the remaining buttered bread slice, buttered side against the cheese. Both outside bread pieces should be unbuttered at this point.
- Butter the top bread piece, all the way to the edges. Place the sandwich, buttered side down in the air fryer basket of the preheated air fryer. Butter the top bread piece of the sandwich in the air fryer. Repeat sandwich assembly instructions if frying more than one.
Step 3: Air Fry the Sandwich. Set the air fryer to 400F/200C for 10 minutes and close the basket. After 5 minutes, pull the air fryer basket out and flip the sandwich. Continue cooking for the remaining 5 minutes. If the sandwich isn't golden brown, flip again and cook for an additional 3 minutes..
Slice and Serve…ENJOY!😋

Mix it up a little…

Add a few slices of crispy bacon, deli ham, sliced turkey, or bologna! Green chili pepper, chopped red onions, or a big slice of a juicy homegrown tomato.
Just like cheese, any bread is good bread. In this recipe, I used wheat sourdough bread, I like the crunch it adds when it's toasted. White sandwich bread, wheat bread, French bread, Brioche bread, or even Rye bread would be delicious.
The best cheeses in a grilled cheese sandwich are American cheese, cheddar cheese, sharp cheddar, Monterey Jack cheese, Gouda cheese, and Swiss cheese...any semi-hard cheese slices will work. In this recipe, I used 2 slices of sharp cheddar cheese, 1 slice of pepper jack cheese, and 1 slice of Swiss cheese.

Souper Good Things

Easy helpful kitchen items

These are some of the best bowls I’ve purchased this year. They are currently priced about $7 dollars less than I paid last month for my daughter’s new kitchen setup in her very first apartment!