I found myself at the old apartment at dinnertime, and I needed to scrape together something to eat while I finished packing up the kitchen. Everything had been packed and moved except my cast iron skillet and the food in the fridge. and the end of a loaf of bread.
It's times like these, when you're in a pinch, that it's good to have some "shortcuts" around. Something quick and easy that doesn't require many pans or much fuss.
I threw my skillet on the stove at medium and grabbed a can of Wolfgang Puck's Organic Creamy Tomato soup. Yes, soup from a can. Hear me out: this soup is so, so good. I don't even like tomato soup for the most part. But this is a really delicious shortcut that doesn't have any terrifying chemicals like most canned products. They're 2 for $5 at my Publix, so I keep a couple on hand for when I don't have the capacity to cook. And yes, I heat it in the microwave. No apologies. also no pots to clean.
[Turns out the can opener had already been packed, too. But I was already committed.
So I used a knife. Desperate times, folks. Do not attempt this at home.]
Back to the skillet. I buttered up a couple slices of bread and grabbed some Havarti cheese from the fridge (if I eat it, then I don't have to pack it!) and made myself a grilled cheese. The Havarti is so creamy and melt-able, once you try it you won't be able to go back to boring old cheddar. Having nicer cheese on hand is another great shortcut to a delicious but easy meal. My favorite combo as of late is Havarti and Muenster (props to my roommate's mom for introducing me!) on thick-sliced bread.
Tomato soup and grilled cheese is a classic, and probably brings back childhood memories of the comfort-food combo. Keep some fancier cheese and a can of this creamy tomato soup on hand for when you're in a pinch but still want to eat well!
