This Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup Pasta Bake is an easy weeknight dinner idea the whole family is going to love! It’s my favorite way to enjoy a grilled cheese and tomato soup.
Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup Casserole
There’s nothing I love more than a new simple to prepare weeknight dinner recipe! This pasta bake recipe brings two of my favorite combinations together, grilled cheese and tomato soup into a fantastic weeknight dinner idea!
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What You’ll Need
- penne pasta– Penne pasta is a nice in between size pasta shape that works great in this recipe. any similar size pasta shape will work just fine as well.
- salted butter– In general, I use salted butter in most of my cooking and baking recipes. You can use unsalted if that’s what you have on hand.
- cooked bacon– I pick up a box of the microwave bacon and crumble it once it’s cooled off.
- garlic salt– Look for Lawry’s Garlic Salt if it’s available. It’s my favorite.
- black pepper– Freshly ground black pepper works best.
- tomato soup– Your favorite tomato soup works best here. I have one from Trader Joe’s that I really like. Use what you enjoy.
- can of diced tomatoes with peppers– Rotel is a good one to look for, the mild version.
- ground cumin– Ground cumin is a great spice that adds that special flavor to the dish. Aromatic and smoky.
- smoked paprika– Smoked paprika is another delicious spice that adds a little something special to your dish. Find it in the spices section of the grocery store.
- fresh cilantro- Fresh cilantro is a nice addition to the pasta, find it in the produce section near the parsley.
- shredded cheddar cheese– I generally get mild cheddar cheese. Any cheddar works just fine.
How To Make Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup Pasta Bake
- Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain. Place butter into a large skillet over medium heat to melt. When melted add pasta, bacon pieces, garlic salt and pepper. Stir to combine them remove from heat.
- Place Creamy Tomato Soup into a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir in cumin and paprika to combine. Pour soup into bottom of a 10 inch cast iron skillet. Sprinkle with cilantro leaves then top with pasta. Top with cheese and bake for 20 minutes, until cheese is melted. Remove and serve warm.
Tips How To Cook Perfect Pasta
- Use a large pot. Pick a roomy pot that gives the pasta plenty of space to move.
- Load up the pot with lots of water. You want five or six quarts for a standard package of pasta.
- Salt the water. Then salt, salt, and salt again! Don’t just give a single tap of the shaker—you want to use at least a tablespoon.
- Bring the water to a full, rolling boil
- Keep stirring. The benefit: Occasionally stirring the pot will keep your pasta from clumping.
- Test the pasta two minutes before it’s “ready” No matter your preference, it’s better to err on the side of al dente, as overcooked pasta will break down and become mush.
How To Serve
Serve pasta warm with a side salad and/or roasted vegetables.
Best Way To Store Leftovers
Store any leftover pasta in an airtight container for up to 3 days in the refrigerator. Reheat as needed.
Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup Pasta Bake
This Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup Pasta Bake is an easy weeknight dinner idea the whole family is going to love! It's my favorite way to enjoy a grilled cheese and tomato soup.
Course: Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine: American
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 256kcal
Cost: $20
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Equipment
- Stove
- Large Skillet/Fry Pan
- Dutch Oven or large pot
- strainer for pasta
- measuring cups
- measuring spoons
- cutting board
- chef knife
Ingredients
- 1/2 pound dry/uncooked penne pasta I used mini
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 1 cup cooked crumbled bacon
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 Cups prepared Tomato Soup Trader Joe's has a great one
- 1/2 cup diced tomatoes with peppers
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 cup fresh chopped cilantro leaves
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain. Place butter into a large skillet over medium heat to melt. When melted add pasta, bacon pieces, garlic salt and pepper. Stir to combine them remove from heat.
- Place Imagine Creamy Tomato Soup into a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir in cumin and paprika to combine. Pour soup into bottom of a 10 inch cast iron skillet. Sprinkle with cilantro leaves then top with pasta. Top with cheese and bake for 20 minutes, until cheese is melted. Remove and serve warm.
Nutrition
Calories: 256kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 32mg | Sodium: 397mg | Potassium: 330mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 610IU | Vitamin C: 6.4mg | Calcium: 121mg | Iron: 1mg
Keywords: chicken pasta casserole, easy pasta bake, easy weeknight dinners, easy weeknight dinners for family, grilled cheese and tomato soup, pasta bake, pasta bake dish, pasta bake dishes, pasta bake recipe, pasta casserole recipe
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Welcome to my online kitchen! Picky Palate is where you’ll find family friendly recipes along with the best Disney eats, tips and copycat recipes! 
My family loved this! I adapted it to our preference but didn’t change much (reduced bacon and no cilantro). Used my cast iron skillet so it could go from stove top to oven. And I broiled it to melt the cheese instead of bake it.
So glad you enjoyed, thanks for the feedback.
Please check your recipe and realize you’ve forgotten important info, like how hot the oven needs to be…..
So- as this is now in a regular rotation in our house, I thought I’d share a few variations:
ground sausage browned/crumbled in place of the bacon. I used sweet/mild kind.I
bratwurst sausage(fresh kind I used Johnsonville original)- I had a ton of leftovers from a cook out. I diced the cooked brats up and put in this recipe. very good. I’ve also made it from raw brats- remove the casing, and brown/crumble the sausage.
smoked sausage- slice, dice and toss it in.
ham- slice and dice and toss it in.
cooked chicken- slice and diced or shredded
The only thing i haven’t used is browned hamburger. That’s next.
So- as this is now in a regular rotation in our house, I thought I’d share a few variations:
ground sausage browned/crumbled in place of the bacon. I used sweet/mild kind.
The recipe does not state when to add the diced tomatoes and peppers, although your picture tutorial does. There is also no oven temperature given anywhere. I am guessing it’s 350. Looking forward to making this for dinner tonight.
This turned out really really good! I didn’t have diced tomatoes and chilis, so I just left that out. My 10yr is a picky eater that is just starting to venture out in food. She loved this!!!!!! It was creamy, hint of spice and lots of bacony goodness!
She’s been perusing the older recipes here to find another one she wants to try.
Oh my word, this looks so delicious!!
This looks so ridiculously good! I’ve had imagine soups before (I love the corn one!) but I never thought to turn them into a sauce like this. Super creative idea!
My mouth is watering so much… I hope I have a similar result when I try it!
Your recipes seem to be so high fat. Do you ever post low fat / calorie conscious recipes?
This looks so yummy! I’m gonna need to make this!
What oven temperature does it bake at?
This looks so cheesy and spicy and delicious!!!
I love tomato and basil! This pasta dish looks delish! YUM.
Totally into this pasta!! Have a wonderful weekend 🙂
This is so creative! I love the idea of layering tomato soup, pasta, & cheese in a casserole dish.
Love that creamy & cheesy pasta with BACON, yummmm 🙂
Oh goodness – that looks irresistible! Pass a fork!
Wow!!! That cheesy stuff, its so mouthwatering!!!
Cheesy pastas are the best!
All that cheese!! Yum! Love the addition of bacon, yess!!
What cheesy, gooey deliciousness!
This is a nice twist.. I really am intrigued by trying this recipe.. will let you know how my family reacts…
I’m a man who loves bacon + Cheese + Mexican. This is a homrun in my book! My wife says her love language is bacon. The family is going to love this winner! And now we are starting to buy almost everything organic I’ll have to check out the Imagine product line. We are getting freaked out by not eating organic foods these days.