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Tomato Soup and Grilled Cheese

Two cans of condensed tomato soup made with milk, served with pan-fried cheddar sandwiches on white bread. Four servings of each.

kid-friendlylunchvegetarianfastcomfort-food
SERVES 4 490 CAL / SERVING 5 min PREP 20 min COOK $10.27 TOTAL
OVERDRAFT KITCHEN
★ ITEMIZED GROCERY RECEIPT ★
Tomato Soup and Grilled Cheese
SERVES 4 · OTTAWA · 2026
2 cans (284 mL each) No Name condensed tomato soup $2.98
500 mL whole or 2% milk $1.35
8 slices No Name white bread (675 g loaf) $2.48
200 g cheddar cheese, sliced or grated $2.86
3 tbsp butter $0.58
to taste salt and pepper $0.02
SUBTOTAL$10.27
GST / HSTyou've suffered enough
TOTAL$10.27
COST PER SERVING
$2.57
— — — TEAR HERE — — —
8 06420 01027 2
THANK YOU FOR SPENDING LESS
THE METHOD
1

Open both cans of condensed tomato soup and pour into a medium pot. Add 2 cans (568 mL) of milk, whisking to combine. Do not add water — milk makes a creamier soup. Heat over medium, stirring occasionally, until hot but not boiling. Season with salt and pepper. Keep warm on low.

2

While the soup heats, assemble the sandwiches: divide the cheese evenly across 4 slices of bread and top each with a second slice.

3

Heat a large skillet or griddle over medium heat. Add butter and let it melt, tilting to coat the pan.

4

Cook sandwiches in batches if needed, 2–3 minutes per side, pressing gently with a spatula, until both sides are golden and the cheese is melted. Add a little more butter between batches if the pan looks dry.

5

Cut sandwiches in half. Ladle soup into bowls and serve the sandwich halves alongside for dipping.

When the math doesn't work

No Name condensed tomato soup is generally $1.29–$1.49 per 284 mL can. Campbell's costs about the same. Priced here at $1.49 each.

  • Milk is priced at $0.70 for 500 mL based on a 2L carton at roughly $2.79. Use whatever milk you have.
  • 50g per sandwich (200g total) is enough cheddar to melt properly. Don't go lower.
  • A full 675g loaf of No Name bread at $2.48 covers the 8 slices here with about 4 slices left over.
Nutrition Per Serving
490 Calories
20g Protein
52g Carbs
22g Fat
3g Fiber
980mg Sodium
~15% DV Iron~35% DV Calcium~10% DV Vitamin C

Estimated values per serving.

Gluten-Free

This recipe can be made gluten-free with substitutions.

  • Replace white bread with gluten-free sandwich bread (adds approx. $3–4 to total cost)

Condensed tomato soup is typically gluten-free but check the label. The sandwiches require a GF bread swap.

Pricing updated June 2026 using Ottawa No Frills and Ottawa Walmart averages. Condensed tomato soup $1.49/284mL can (No Frills, estimate). No Name bread $2.48/675g (confirmed). Cheddar $1.43/100g = $2.86 for 200g. Butter $1.36/100g, 3 tbsp (~42g) = $0.57. Milk estimated at $0.70 for 500mL.