Soup with meatballs, spinach and cheese croutons

Ingredients:

Soup

• 450 g minced beef, pork or mixed
• 2 tbsp. l. olive oil
• 2 carrots, peeled and chopped
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 bay leaves, dried or fresh
• 1 egg, beaten
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 0.5 cups grated Parmesan, a couple of handfuls
• 0.5 cups plain breadcrumbs, a couple of handfuls
• 0.5 tsp freshly grated or ground nutmeg
• 6 cups chicken broth
• 2 tbsp of water
• 1.5 cups dry pasta (rings, broken fettuccine or ditalini)
• 450 g fresh spinach, washed three times, coarsely chopped

Hot sandwiches "4 cheeses"

• 2 tbsp. l. olive oil
• 3 tablespoons of butter
• 1 clove garlic, peeled
• 8 slices crusty Italian bread
• 1 cup grated provolone cheese
• 1 tbsp. grated mozzarella
• 0.5 tbsp. grated Parmesan or Romano
• 1 cup grated Asiago cheese

Preparation:

1. Heat olive oil in a deep saucepan over medium heat. Add carrots, celery, onion, and bay leaf. Season with salt and pepper. Cover the pan and cook for 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. While the vegetables are frying, mix the minced meat, egg, garlic, grated cheese, breadcrumbs, salt, black pepper, nutmeg.
3. Open the saucepan and pour in the broth and water. Increase the heat to high and bring the soup to a boil. Once the soup comes to a boil, reduce the heat slightly and begin rolling the ground meat into small balls, dropping them directly into the saucepan. You're making meatballs. Once you're done making the meatballs, add the pasta to the soup and stir. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes.
4. When the pasta is tender, stir in the finely chopped spinach. When the spinach has wilted, the soup is ready to serve. Season with salt to taste. Serve with crusty bread or hot four-cheese sandwiches.
   
   

   Hot sandwiches "4 cheeses"

   
   In a small skillet over medium heat, heat the butter, olive oil, and garlic. Sauté the garlic for 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat.
   
   Place a large nonstick skillet on the stovetop over medium heat. Brush one side of four slices of bread with garlic butter and place them buttered side down in the skillet. Top each slice with an equal amount of the four grated cheeses, distributing them evenly among the four slices. Top each sandwich with another slice of bread, buttered side down. Turn the cheese sandwiches over several times until the cheeses are melted and oozing, and the bread is golden brown. Cut the sandwiches diagonally and serve with soup.
   
   Note
   
   All of these cheeses can be found in the cheese section already grated..