Haunted Ham and Cheese with Spiderweb Soup

Haunted Ham and Cheese

A haunted twist on a grilled ham and cheese sandwich. This dinner is very simple but is sure to be a crowd-pleaser. Jack-o'-lantern faces cut out from bread add flare to these ham and cheese sandwiches. Dip them into some spicy Spiderweb Soup for a well-balanced and delicious Halloween dinner (Soup recipe to follow).


Serves: 4
Start to Finish:
Recipe By: Grilled ham and cheese is as old as peanut butter and jelly, I am not sure if anyone knows who invented them.

Ingredients:

8 slices of bread
4 slice of cheddar cheese
4 slices of ham
Butter
Garlic salt

Directions:

1. Butter one side of each piece of bread.
2. Using a sharp knife or cookie cutter, cut jack-o-lantern faces into four slices of bread.
3. Flip the bread over so it is butter side down.
4. Top the bread with ham and cheese.
5. Cover with the other four slices of bread to form a sandwich.
6. Sprinkle garlic salt over the sandwiches.
7. Place on skillet and cook until golden brown.
8. Flip sandwich and cook second side until golden brown
9. Serve with Spiderweb Soup








Spiderweb Soup

This Carrot-Ginger Soup has an incredible flavor that will warm you up on a cold October night. The flavor is strong and ginger can be spicy; so if you are worried your children won't eat it, you can always use a can of Campbell's Tomato Soup. Just make sure to add the spiderweb design for the full effect.


Serves: 6
Start to Finish: 2 hours
Recipe By: Janet Brunson (This recipe was given to me by my mother-in-law; she is an excellent cook. I would recommend trying any recipes I post that are from her. You won't be disappointed in the results.)

Ingredients:

4 TBSP butter or margarine
1 medium onion, chopped (approx. 1 cup)
2 TBSP fresh ginger, finely minced
6 cups chicken broth
8 large carrots, peeled and finely chopped (approx. 2 lbs)
salt to taste
1/4 tsp white pepper
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 cup sour cream

Spiderweb Garnish:
3 TBSP sour cream
1 TBSP milk

Directions:

1. In a stock pot, melt butter.
2. Chop onion and carrots; mince ginger.
3. Saute onion and ginger over medium heat until soft.
4. Stir in chicken broth and carrots.
5. Cover and cook over medium-low heat until the vegetables are very soft, about 1 hour.
6. Cool slightly and puree in batches in a blender or food processor.
(At this point the soup can be refrigerated for up to 2 days or frozen. Sour cream will be added in the steps that follow, which can be neither frozen nor boiled without curdling. Note: the more time the flavors have to meld together, the stronger the ginger spice becomes.)
7. Add the pureed soup back to the pot and bring the soup to a simmer.
8. Season to taste with salt, pepper, nutmeg, and sugar.
9. Stir in sour cream.
10. Heat the soup gently but DO NOT ALLOW TO BOIL!
11. Ladle into soup bowls and add the spiderweb garnish.

For Spiderweb Garnish:
12. Mix together sour cream and milk in a Ziploc baggie (It should be thick).
13. Seal Ziploc baggie and snip a small hole in one bottom corner.
14. Using the Ziploc baggie like an icing bag, draw a swirl design onto the top of the soup.
15. Use a toothpick to drag the design from the center of the swirl out to create a spiderweb effect.