Recipe: Cheddar Corn Chowder

This recipe for Corn Chowder evolved over time…. it is a combination of several recipes… one of which is from the Barefoot Contessa. Frankly, I tried her recipe for Cheddar Corn Chowder and was very disappointed… I felt the soup was too bland and wayyy toooo rich and fatty….and made enough to feed an army…. I personally think it has some typos in it with some of its quantities….so I did a lot of adjusting…. The addition of cayenne finally did the trick … adding a little more flavor to it.

The result still is pretty rich as it does include butter and bacon …. but eaten as a main meal... it really isn't too bad.

TIPS

I used yellow sharp cheddar cheese… I liked the color it gave to the soup…. I listed 16 ounces of sharp cheddar cheese… I used an entire bag of shredded cheese… you may want more on hand to add a little more…

Be sure to use sharp cheddar cheese… otherwise the soup will be too bland.

I used a ½ teaspoon cayenne… start with a ¼ teaspoon and add to your taste… you may want to use more or less than I did.

This is an extremely hearty soup… a meal in itself… just add a side salad and you’re good to go.

This is really perfect for those cold winter nights…. just a terrific comfort food.







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All you need:

3 strips of bacon
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 very large onions, diced
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
4 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon salt
About 10 turns of the pepper mill
6 cups chicken stock
4 large potatoes, peeled and diced
24 ounces frozen corn
½ teaspoon cayenne or to taste
16 ounces shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 cup milk
1 cup light cream

All you need to do:

In a large stock pot… heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat.

Add the bacon and cook until crispy.

Chop the bacon into bits and set aside.

Remove the bacon and set aside.

Add the onions and butter and cook until the onions are translucent.

Add the flour, salt and pepper, stir until the flour is incorporated.

Cook for a few minutes to cook off the flour taste.

Add the chicken stock and the potatoes.

Cook over medium high heat to boiling and simmer until potatoes are tender.

Add the corn, milk and light cream to the pot, stir to completely incorporate them.

Add the cheese and stir until completely melted… about 2-3 minutes.

Add the cayenne and adjust the seasonings to taste.

Serve the soup with bacon bits as a garnish.