Amazing grilled cheese + a bonus

Grilled cheese sandwiches with olive oil marinated tomatoes. 

You can either marinate your tomatoes for a few hours or overnight (or a bit longer) or just mix them up quickly and make the sandwiches. They'll be good either way. Plus, they're kind of a two-in-one meal. You'll see what I mean.

You'll need:

• Good bread
• Cheese (I like good aged cheddar or Gruyère for melty sandwiches, and chèvre is awesome, experiment and find out what you like!)
• Tomatoes
• Olive oil

And a combination of the herbs/seasoning you want to marinate your tomatoes in:

•  Garlic (don't use a lot to start with - raw garlic, especially when it marinates for a while, is strong. You can always add more later)
• Dried chili peppers (whole or crushed). Use chipotles if you want to add a smoky flavour.
• Black pepper
• Sea salt
• Fresh basil (so good with tomatoes), oregano, thyme, rosemary - any herb you like.

Slice the tomatoes layer them with the fresh herbs and other seasonings you're using. Cover them with olive oil and let them marinate for a while if you have time.

Butter the outside of your first slice of bread. Put it in a pan or on a grill over medium heat. Add a layer of the tomatoes and put your cheese on top. Add another slice of bread on top, butter side out. Flip when your desired goldenness is reached. Cut in half and enjoy your extravagant, calorie rich grilled cheese. If you're feeling nostalgic, you may want to omit the tomatoes and use slices of processed cheese for a trip back to the late 80's/early 90's.

Okay, here's the BONUS meal! It's a quick and dirty pasta dish, and it's good.

Make some extra tomatoes. I usually marinate them in a glass mason jar and put the leftovers in the fridge. Tomorrow or the next day (or later if you throw them in the freezer), heat up a skillet and throw in your tomatoes. While they bubble away and turn into a pesto-esque olive oil-tomato sauce, cook some pasta. Amazing with some good parmesan cheese on top.