Tomato Tortellini Soup & Garlic Bread Grilled Cheese

At least once per week, we have our friends over for dinner.  Sometimes it's to make a Monday better, other times it's on a rainy night when we would have had kickball.  We usually try to keep dinners easy (Korean Beef Bowl, 5-Ingredient Lasagna...) so that we can spending more time playing cards and Mario Kart.  On one of the stormy nights our friends came over, we decided that it was a "grilled cheese and tomato soup kind of night."  I've been making this soup for years.  I was never really a fan of tomato soup, but add tortellini, and I am so in!  The grilled cheese came from an idea our friends had that the soup needed a perfectly Italian pairing, and this is definitely it.

Soup Ingredients (makes soup for 4-6 people):
- 1 family-size bag of cheese tortellini (we use about 20oz of tortellini)
- 4 10.75oz cans of condensed tomato soup
- 3 cups milk
- 2 cups half & half
- 1 tablespoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon lemon pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- garnishing suggestions: parmesan cheese and parsley

Soup Directions:
1. Heat a pot of water to boiling, and follow instructions on the tortellini to cook to al dente.
2. While the tortellini is cooking, combine tomato soup, milk, half & half, and spices into a large pot and heat on medium, stirring frequently.
3. Add the cooked tortellini to the soup and stir to combine.
4. Ladle soup into bowls and top with grated cheese and chopped parsley

Grilled Cheese Ingredients (makes 4 sandwiches):
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 stick (4 tablespoons) butter
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon chopped parsley
- 8 slices white bread
- 8 slices American cheese
- 1 cup grated mozzarella cheese

Grilled Cheese Directions:
1. Press the garlic into a small dish and combine with salt and butter.
2. Melt the garlic butter mixture in the microwave for 15-20 seconds.
3. Add the olive oil and parsley to the garlic butter, and stir to combine.
4. Heat a skillet on low and spread garlic butter onto one side of each piece of bread.
5. Place 4 slices of bread garlic butter-side down in the skillet.
6. Top the bread with one slice of American cheese, 1/4 cup of mozzarella, a second slice of American, and another piece of garlic bread (face up).
7. Heat the grilled cheese (covered) for 2-3 minutes on each side, before flipping and heating for another 2-3 minutes on the other side.
8. Slice in half and serve with soup!

Just look at that cheese; talk about the ultimate Italian comfort food!  If you are only making dinner for a couple of people, note that this soup refrigerates very well, or you can easily cut the recipe in half.

What is your favorite comfort food?