The Soup Mama

Mmmmm. Cheeeeeesy.

I found a wonderful side dish for Split Pea Soup. The recipe for these open-face sandwiches is a classic fifties’ favorite. To make it completely authentic you need to add bacon slices. I left off the bacon in the recipe because our soup is chock full of ham. Here’s how to make four servings:

1 tablespoon softened butter
4 slices white bread, lightly toasted
7-ounce package Extra Sharp Aged Cheddar Cheese
2 tomatoes, thickly sliced
1 small red onion, peeled and thinly sliced
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Preheat the oven to 450°. Grease a large baking pan with the butter. Arrange the toasted bread slices in the pan in a single layer, not touching each other. Divide the ingredients evenly between the bread, building layers of cheese, tomatoes and sliced onions. Season to your taste with salt and pepper. Bake until the cheese is melted and golden, about 10 minutes.

A light IPA like Terrapin would be a great dinner companion!