American Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup

I saw this grilled cheese recipe in Cooking Light (one of my favorite magazines!) a while back. We love it here and it's become an easy weeknight meal. As an added bonus, it's a meal I've managed to make with 350 calories. My rear thanks me. Yours will thank you too. =)

American Grilled Cheese: Ingredients

Reduced Fat Sargento Provolone Cheese

Reduced Fat Sargento Colby Jack Cheese

45 Calorie sliced bread (Sara Lee)

light spreadable butter or margarine

sliced Roma tomatoes

fresh basil leaves

I'm wondering if I really need to type out how to make a grilled cheese sandwich? Ok, if I get one comment about needing directions, I will come back and edit this post with directions. =) But it goes butter, bread, provolone cheese, sliced Roma, basil leaves, Colby jack slice, bread, butter. Grill. If you use more than once slice of each cheese, it will be more than 350 calories.

Tomato Soup: Pacific Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato

Now, the soup. My favorite soup with this sandwich is Pacific Natural Foods Organic Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato soup. It's only $3.69 for 32 oz. We usually warm half and put the box in the fridge. It lasts for two meals since the girls won't eat it. As usual.

So, serve up the soup, top with a few croutons and some shredded Parmesan cheese (again, you will add a few extra calories there, too.)

So, cheap, easy, delicious. What more could you want?!

Easy Easy Chicken and Dumplings

I got this recipe from my friend Holly about 5 years ago. I love chicken and dumplings as a fall and winter meal, but was always intimidated by the trouble my mom went to in making this for her family. So, when I was introduced to this recipe and it tasted almost as good as Mom's, I was sold! Hope you like it.

Ingredients:

1 rotisserie chicken

1 box of chicken stock (you can use broth, but it isn't nearly as good.)

2 cans cream of celery soup

1 12oz can of home style biscuits

Directions:

De bone chicken.

Add stock, celery soup, and chicken to stock pot. Heat through and salt/pepper to taste.

(I let it simmer for several hours, but it's fine if you only have about 30 min.)

Cut biscuits into small pieces (or the size you like your dumplings) and add to pot.

Cook an additional 7-10 min to allow biscuits to puff up.

Serve and enjoy!

**If you're feeling like giving it an even more homemade taste you can cut up some fresh celery and add that too.