Venison Grilled Cheese with Tomato Basil Soup
Grilled cheese served with tomato soup is an american staple. The grilled cheese is cheesey meaty and will leave you stuffed. Dipping it into the tomato soup is mouth watering.

1 pound Ground Venison
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup diced Baby Bella mushrooms
1/2 small onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
Butter, for making grilled cheeses
8 slices sourdough bread
8 slices White American cheese
8 slices Gouda cheese
Tomato Soup
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 shallot, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 (28 ounce cans) crushed tomatoes with juices (preferably san marzano)
2 cups chicken stock
1/4 cup chopped basil, plus more to serve
1 tablespoon white sugar
1/2 tsp black pepper, or to taste
1 teasoon thyme leaves
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1/3 cup parmesan cheese, plus more to serve
Recipe Directions
For the Tomato Soup:
1. Heat a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Melt butter, then add in shallots. Sauté for 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add in minced garlic and stir for one minute until the garlic is fragrant, approximately one minute.
2. Add in the crushed tomatoes (with juices), chicken stock, basil, sugar, thyme and pepper. Stir the ingredients together and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to a simmer and partially cover for 10 minutes.
3. Use an immersion blender if desired for less chunky consistency.
4. Add in heavy cream and Parmesan cheese and bring back to a simmer. Taste the soup and add any salt and pepper if desired. Reduce heat to low while making the grilled cheeses.
For the Grilled Cheese
1. Begin to brown the ground venison in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add in onions and mushrooms. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for 8 minutes, or until the venison is completely cooked through and the vegetables are translucent. Add in garlic and sauté for an additional minute. Remove from heat and set aside.
Melt 1 tablespoon butter over medium-high heat in the same pan. Brown two slices of bread. Flip bread over and top one side with a slice of Gouda and the other with a slice of American cheese. Top one slice of bread with 1/3 to 1/2 cup venison mixture. Place second slice of toasted bread on top and flip sandwich over one more time to melt cheese. Keep the prepared grilled cheese sandwiches warm in oven while cooking the others.
3. Serve with tomato soup.
This recipe was brought to you by Wide Open Spaces
