• Heat the butter and olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until it turns translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, salt, pepper, and sage and cook for 1 minute more. Add the maple syrup to the pot and let it cook until it starts smelling sweet and begins to caramelize, about 3 minutes.
  1 tablespoon EACH: butter and olive oil, 1 medium onion, 4 cloves garlic, 1 teaspoon EACH: salt, pepper, and dried sage, ¼ cup maple syrup
  
• Add the pumpkin and chicken stock to the pot and simmer for 10 minutes. Blend the soup using an immersion blender (or work in batches to blend it in a regular blender) and then stir in the whipping cream. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
  28 ounce can of pureed pumpkin, 3 cups chicken stock
  
• If you'd like to make the topping, cook about ½ cup of chopped bacon over medium heat until it is almost crispy. Remove all but 2 tablespoons of the grease then add ¼ cup of raw pumpkin seeds and about 10 fresh sage leaves. Cook until the sage is crispy, about 2 minutes.
  

Grilled Cheese

• Make the grilled cheese while the soup is simmering. Spread the mayonnaise on one side of all of the slices of bread and place them face-down on your cutting board. Divide the cheese between 4 pieces of bread and then top with another slice of bread, mayo side facing up.
  4 tablespoons full-fat mayonnaise, 8 slices bread
  
• Heat a large pan (you may need to work in 2 batches) over medium heat. Add the sandwiches and grill until golden. Flip them over and grill until golden on the other side and the cheese has melted.
  
• Let them rest on your cutting board for 3 minutes and then cut each grilled cheese into 4 sticks.