Besides homework, nothing signifies the return of fall quite like a gooey grilled cheese sandwich served with a side of creamy tomato soup. The only way we could possibly improve this time-honored after-school pairing is to combine the soup and sandwich into a hearty casserole that's built just like lasagna. Every bite of this dish has the perfect balance of tomato soup, melted cheese and buttery bread. Sound complicated? It's not. Read on to see how easily it's done, step by step.

To start, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Then, using about 1 1/2 sticks of softened butter, butter both sides of 18 slices of white or wheat sandwich bread. Bake the bread on baking sheets until golden, about 15 minutes, flipping halfway through to evenly toast on both sides.

Line the bottom of a 13-by-9-by-2-inch baking dish with 6 slices of toast.

Grate about 3 cups of cheese, half cheddar and half part-skim mozzarella.