Bacon Apple Toasty with Homemade Tomato Soup Recipe

Isn't a "toasty" simply a "grilled cheese"? Speaking practically, they're one in the same, so it's basically a "you say 'tomato', I say 'to-mah-to'" situation.  

Call the sandwich what you will, but this particular version of bread + melted cheese is seriously elevated thanks to the autumn-themed flavors of savory bacon, crisp apple, and high-end cheddar. 

And, speaking of tomatoes / tomaahhhtoes, we're paring this out-of-this-world toasty with an out-of-this-world tomato soup! 

But before we dive into all of that deliciousness, let's talk about bacon. 

Big Horn Culinary College: 

Choosing the Best Bacon - The Tastiest is Also the Healthiest!

Specifically, let's talk about how to bring home the (best) bacon for a moment. Quite frankly, there's a wiiide range of both quality and nutritional benefits when it comes to the crispy stuff!

Bacon often gets a bad rap, and it's understandable why. Let's face it - it's a highly caloric food with a bunch of salt. (Delicious, delicious calories and salt...😅) And while we're not advocating that even the highest-quality bacon should be part of your every-day diet, there ARE measures you can take to get something that's tasty and relatively healthy. 

Consideration #1

This almost goes without saying, but we'll say it anyway: Opt for bacon that's uncured, organic, and from an animal never treated with antibiotics. The last thing you want is bacon that's chock-full of artificial nitrates, preservatives, and whatever residual antibiotics may have been administered. 

Bacon Buyers Often Ask... "Doesn't 'natural, uncured, organic' bacon still have nitrates in it?" Yes, this is true. However, the uncured, organic types contain nitrates that naturally occur in the celery used in the bacon's processing. Again, bacon's not something to eat for three squares a day, but I know I'd rather have nitrates from celery over nitrates from a lab! 

Consideration #2

Bacon can contain different kinds of fat, and these various types can make a big difference in an item's "health score". So, what's the healthy fat bacon can potentially contain, and how do you find it in the store? 

There are basically three potential types of fat found in bacon: monounsaturated, polyunsaturated, and saturated fat. Without diving into the chemical intricacies here, the main fat you're after is the monounsaturated variety. 

Monounsaturated fats - yes, the same "good fats" found in olive oil(!) - are shown to reduce bad cholesterol levels, decrease systemic inflammation, and are rich in vitamin E. So, bacon IS arguably (pretty) healthy... if you pick out the right kind. 

Choosing bacon with favorable monounsaturated fat ratios is pretty easy, too! Just select the bacon that appears to have the longest, thickest strips of fat. Those sizable fat strips are mostly comprised of the monounsaturated variety.

Check out the image of bacon above! Notice the visibly robust strips of fat? This is what you're going for. 

Now, without further ado, let's get shopping.

Ingredients:

(Recipe makes 4 servings)

Tomato Soup Ingredients

1. 1/2 Cup of High-Quality EVOO + Extra for Drizzling (Any of these will do nicely!)
2. 2 1/2 Pounds of Assorted Tomatoes (e.g. Vine, Heirloom, or Plumb)
3. 1/2 Cup Cherry Tomatoes (For an optional Garnish)
4. 6 Coves of Garlic
5. 2 Small Onions (Sliced)
6. Freshly Ground Pepper & Kosher Salt
7. 1 Quart of Chicken Stock
8. 2 Bay Leaves
9. 4 Tbs of Unsalted Butter
10. 1/2 Cup of Fresh Basil
11. 3/4 Cup of Heavy Cream

Bacon-Apple Toasty Ingredients

1. 8 Slices of Bread (Sourdough is an awesome go-to, but Brioche, Multigrain, Rye, or even White would work!)
2. 1 Pack of Bacon
3. 2 Medium Granny Smith Apples (Sliced Thinly)
4. Cheddar Cheese (A mix of yellow and white cheddar is always excellent!)
5. Dijon Mustard
6. Butter (Enough to spread on the top / bottom of the sandwich prior to cooking) 

Now, let's get cooking.

Instructions:

Act 1 - Tomato Soup Prep: 

Preheat your oven to 450 degrees F, and core / half the larger tomatoes. You'll want to leave the cherry tomatoes whole, though. Next, heat a flame-proof roasting pan over medium-high heat on the stovetop. 

Once the pan is warm, drizzle with 1/2 cup of olive oil, and carefully & evenly spread the tomatoes, garlic, and onions throughout the pan. Cook this mix until the garlic is nicely browned. This should take about 5 minutes. 

Next, season everything with salt and pepper, and transfer the pan to the oven. We'll want to roast this basis for our tomato soup until the tomatoes are caramelized (talk about enhancing flavor!). This roasting process should take 20 - 30 minutes.

Act 2 - Simmer Away!:

Grab a large pot, and transfer the roasted tomatoes, garlic, and onions from the oven to the pot. BUT, set aside the cherry tomatoes. We'll use these as garnish later! 

Additionally, toss into the pot: 3 cups of chicken stock, the bay leaves, and the butter. Once this mixture hits a boil, reduce the heat to medium, and allow everything to simmer until the liquid is reduced by about 1/3. This should take between 15 to 20 min. 

After 15 to 20 minutes, remove the bay leaves. 

Act 3 - Blend it all Together: 

Things are about to look a lot like soup! After the bay leaves are removed, add the basil to the pot. 

If you have one, use an immersion blender to puree the soup until it's sporting a smooth, soup-like consistency. No immersion blender? No problem! Just transfer the soup to a regular blender, puree it, and then return it to the pot to finish the cooking process. 

Reduce the heat to low, add in the heavy cream, and tailor the consistency to your liking with the remaining 1 cup of chicken stock. 

Finally, season with salt and pepper to taste, and serve the soup in bowls with roasted cherry tomatoes and an olive oil drizzle garnish!

Of course, we'll want a nice grilled cheese to go with our soup, right? 

Act 4 - Toasty Time: 

If you've made it this far, you're in the home stretch! The toasty is the easy part, so you're not far from a soup / sandwich combo of culinary bliss. 😀

Grab the 4 slices of country white bread, and spread dijon mustard on one side of each. With the dijon side facing up, top each half with sliced cheddar, cooked bacon, and the sliced Granny Smith Apple.

Complete each sandwich with the other 4 slices of country white bread, and butter each side of each sandwich. 

Finally, cook each sandwich in a skillet over medium-low heat. Cook each side of the sandwich for about 3 minutes, until the cheese is melted and the bread is golden brown. 

Serve each sandwich with a bowl of your tasty tomato soup, and savor the cozy flavors of fall! 

Enjoy!