Grown up grilled cheese sandwiches paired with a piping hot bowl of soup- comfort food at its best.
This post is sponsored by ReganMillerJones, Inc and the General Mills Bell Institute of Health and Nutrition on behalf of ProgressoTM. I received free samples of the soup mentioned and was compensated for my time.
Don’t you just love tucking into a piping hot bowl of soup on a cold day? Soup is the ultimate comfort food. On the weekends, when I have a little more time, I love making a huge pot of homemade chicken soup with lots of fresh vegetables, herbs and noodles. As it simmers away on the stove, it fills the house with a delicious, earthy aroma.
But on busy weeknights, I sometimes take a little help from the store. And when it comes to canned soups, they’re not all created equal. ProgressoTM recently announced that they’re now serving white meat chicken with no antibiotics ever. They now have a variety of chicken soups made with 100% antibiotic and hormone free white meat chicken breasts.
I like pairing soup with other dishes and serving it as a complete meal. Whether you’re cooking for one or for a family, it makes meal prep super quick and easy. When I was growing up, the ultimate comfort food was soup and a grilled cheese sandwich. Back then, the sandwiches were made with American cheese on white bread. My tastes have grown up a little since then!
#AD This Grilled Cheese w/ Avocado Pesto pairs perfectly with soup for comfort food at its finest! #SoupYourWayClick To Tweet
So the other night, I heated up a bowl of Progresso TM Light Chicken Soup, which is packed with chunks of white meat chicken, noodles, and vegetables. To pair with it, I decided to make my Grilled Cheese with Avocado Pesto – my grown up twist on a classic grilled cheese. I used pepper jack cheese and a creamy, homemade avocado pesto sandwiched between two slices of chewy multigrain bread.
To make the avocado pesto, I pureed up roasted pepitas, which I had in my pantry. Pepitas are pumpkin seeds- they’re delicious, packed with nutrients, and perfect for snacking. To the pepitas, I added garlic, lime juice, cilantro, and creamy avocado. The avocado pesto is delicious spread on a grilled cheese but you could also toss it with pasta, serve it as a dip or use it as a topping for grilled fish or chicken.
While my soup was heating up, I gave my sammies a quick toast in a hot skillet to crisp up the outside and dinner was done! Golden brown on the outside with plenty of ooey, gooey cheese and creamy avocado on the inside- yum! Just perfect served with a bowl soup on the side. Grown up comfort food at its best.
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Grown up grilled cheese sandwiches paired with a piping hot bowl of soup- comfort food at its best.
- ¼ cup pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
- 1 clove garlic
- ¼ cup cilantro
- 1 ripe Hass avocado
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 8 slices multigrain bread (I used Dave’s Good Seed thin sliced)
- 8 slices pepper jack cheese
- 2 teaspoon unsalted butter
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Place the pepitas in a mini food processor and pulse until finely ground. Add the garlic and cilantro and pulse a few more times until chopped. Add the avocado, lime juice, salt, and 1 tablespoon olive oil and blend until smooth.
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Place 4 slices of bread on a cutting board and top each one with 2 slices of cheese. Spread the avocado pesto on the remaining 4 slices of bread and close the sandwiches.
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Heat 1 teaspoon olive oil and 1 teaspoon butter in a large cast iron or other skillet. Place two of the sandwiches in the pan and cook 2-3 minutes until golden brown. Flip the sandwiches over and cook another 2-3 minutes until toasted and golden brown. Remove them from the skillet. Heat the remaining 1 teaspoon olive oil and 1 teaspoon butter in the skillet and cook the other 2 sandwiches.
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Slice the sandwiches in half and serve.
Jessica @ Nutritioulicious says
February 9, 2017 at 1:03 amOh wow Sonali, those grilled cheese sandwiches look amazing! Just look at that cheese oozing out! Love the idea of pairing with avocado pesto – great pop of color! So
Jenni Tilton-Flood says
February 9, 2017 at 7:48 amLooks like a fabulously delicious sandwich and nothing says comfort sometimes like soup & sandwich. However, I’m a bit confused. I know that Progresso has continued to advertise the chicken used in its soups as “antibiotic free” (which, all chicken on the market is AND claiming that is not exactly allowable under FDA guidelines) and “hormone free”. I’m surprised to see that the statement that the chicken (or any food, for that matter) being described as “hormone free”, especially by those who I had come to expect would know the science, the facts and the reality. I understand that this is the advertising campaign Progressi has insisted on using but it is erroneous and false and lends confusion and fear to consumers like me as there is no such thing as “hormone free” food. I’m surprised it would be condoned and furthered.
sonaliruder says
February 10, 2017 at 11:51 pmThank you for your thoughtful comment, which brings up a lot of good points about poultry labeling. I’m glad you like the sandwich recipe! Regarding the other things you wrote about, you are correct in that like all living things, chicken has natural hormones so the hormone-free label may be a bit confusing for consumers. Furthermore, no artificial or added hormones are used in the production of any poultry in the US- it’s actually illegal. Companies can choose to label their food as “hormone free” or something similar to that but they then also must have a statement on the packaging that says that federal regulations prohibit the use of hormones in poultry.
As far as what you wrote about companies not being allowed to label their product as “antibiotic free” under FDA guidelines, can you please cite your source on that? This is a quote from the USDA website: “The terms “no antibiotics added” may be used on labels for meat or poultry products if sufficient documentation is provided by the producer to the Agency demonstrating that the animals were raised without antibiotics.” Here’s the link: https://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/topics/food-safety-education/get-answers/food-safety-fact-sheets/food-labeling/meat-and-poultry-labeling-terms
In terms of antibiotics, some companies raise chickens without any antibiotics but most commercial poultry producers do use antibiotics to treat and control the spread of disease. However, the FDA and USDA have several mechanisms in place to ensure that the birds are antibiotic free by the time they reach the market including strict drug withdrawal protocols that makes sure the drugs are completely eliminated from the animal before it enters the food chain. They also have extensive testing programs to make sure that the poultry at grocery stores does not contain any harmful antibiotic residues.
Laura says
February 9, 2017 at 9:22 amI totally agree! There’s nothing like a warm bowl of soup and a grilled cheese sandwich! And progresso is perfect for those nights when I only have the energy to toast bread (and not make homemade soup)!
Laura recently posted…Flourless Paleo Brownies
elizabeth shaw says
February 9, 2017 at 9:42 amWOW so many wonderful flavors in here! Truth be told, as a kid (well still sort of) I asked for grilled cheese and soup every birthday! I had my 16th birthday eating delicious diner grilled cheese 🙂
elizabeth shaw recently posted…Comment on Maple Pistachio Cookie Cake with Chocolate Frosting – Low Sugar + Lots of Love by EA Stewart
amanda -runtothefinish says
February 9, 2017 at 10:49 amThere is something so immensely satisfying about that cheese squishing out between the bread!!! I haven’t found a vegan cheese yet that has quite the same impact, but I still love it!
amanda -runtothefinish recently posted…Adding Speed Workouts: Minus Injuries, Over training and Mental Fatigue
Risa says
February 9, 2017 at 10:59 amWhat temperature do you grill the sandwiches at? Sounds Devine! Can’t wait to make these.
sonaliruder says
February 10, 2017 at 11:49 pmI would cook them at medium heat. If you cook them at high heat, the bread will get toasted before the cheese has a chance to melt 🙂
Julie @ Running in a Skirt says
February 9, 2017 at 1:06 pmOh avoacdo on grilled cheese is my jam! This looks amazing and clearly I need it in my life. 🙂 The soup looks awesome too!
EA Stewart says
February 9, 2017 at 2:25 pmYum!! Grilled Cheese and Soup (usually Trader Joe’s Organic Tomato Soup) is a favorite at my house. My kids would LOVE this avocado pesto on their grilled cheese sandwiches. Me too!!!
EA Stewart recently posted…Chocolate Overnight Oats with Chia Seeds & Warm Strawberry Vanilla Compote + My Favorite Heart Healthy Foods
Kerri Olkjer says
February 9, 2017 at 10:14 pmI think soup and warm sandwiches are the perfect winter meal! Love the flavors here.
Sarah says
February 9, 2017 at 11:49 pmI love it and adding avocado to grilled cheese! It adds so much creaminess and I love the pop of color! Never thought to do an avocado pesto, sound delicious!
Beverley Press says
February 10, 2017 at 5:27 amSo much flavour and goodness is in this sandwich and served with soup makes a complete meal. Delicious as always and good luck at Babycom not that you will need it xoxo
Taylor Kiser says
February 10, 2017 at 7:47 amMy goodness does that grilled cheese look ahhmazing!! I love the addition of the avocado pesto! Soup and grilled cheese sound like the perfect lunch for today!
Taylor Kiser recently posted…Pizza Crock Pot Pasta
RFC says
February 10, 2017 at 8:45 amWOAH this looks incredible! Grilled cheese is pretty much my signature meal, and has been since I was three years old, lol. I’ve never thought to add avocado though, wow!
RFC recently posted…Hallucination 24 Hour Race Report
Kristy from Southern In Law says
February 12, 2017 at 6:07 pmOooh, this looks like my perfect lunch! What a delicious recipe.
PS: I hope the expo went really well this weekend!!
Kristy from Southern In Law recently posted…Recipe: 3 Ingredient Flourless Nutella Brownies
Cheyanne @ No Spoon Necessary says
February 13, 2017 at 3:23 pmI’ll be the first to admit, while I LOVE me some homemade soup, sometimes life happens, and I will always turn to Progresso! Ain’t no shame in my soup game! This grilled cheese is just gorgeous, Sonali!!! And that’s not something I say a lot about grilled cheese sammies! The color of that avocado pesto is just stunning! I could eat a dangerous amount of these cheese sandos!! LOVE IT! Cheers, friend!
Cheyanne @ No Spoon Necessary recently posted…Chicken Apple Sausage Quick Cassoulet
Bethany @ athletic avocado says
February 14, 2017 at 7:31 amGrilled cheese + soup is the most comforting classic easy meal! I’m obsessed with the addition of the avo pesto, it make the grilled cheese that much better 🙂
Daniel says
February 14, 2017 at 8:09 amSometimes you just can’t beat a soup and sandwich combination and these two are ticking all of the right boxes for me! Avocado pesto sounds like an awesome idea 🙂
Thanks for sharing it with us!
Karly says
February 14, 2017 at 10:55 amWhat. A. Beaut. It may be Valentine’s Day, but I only have eyes for this grilled cheese at the moment. Definitely putting this at the top of my to-do list!
usha says
February 14, 2017 at 5:00 pmYes, you bring out childhood memories of simple and easy “quick” meals on rainy days, even as an in-between-meals-snack on a homebound snowy day. Yummy, I cannot wait to add the pesto sauce and the multi grained bread.
Thanks Sonali.
Natalie @ Obsessive Cooking Disorder says
February 15, 2017 at 2:40 pmI’ve been in love w grilled cheese since we got our panini press. Never made avocado pesto but it sounds like a great treat – nothing beats homemade pesto
Natalie @ Obsessive Cooking Disorder recently posted…Raspberry Chocolate Tart with Gingersnap Crust
Leslie says
February 18, 2017 at 1:22 amI love the idea of pairing food with a clear soup for the feel of completeness after a meal. I just tried making this sandwich today and ate it with the vegetable soup, and found dipping the sandwich into the soup before every bite gives it the moisture that makes it tastes even richer!
Great recipe Sonali!
Farrah says
February 18, 2017 at 10:13 pmGoodness, this looks amaaaazing! <3 I love and adore avocado and a grilled cheese + soup would be the perfect comfort food for this weather! :]!