Chicken Cheddar Chowder

This one's for my college kids, who are right now in the middle of a typically brutal Southern Idaho winter. Actually, Alyssa was texting with me and asking for recipe ideas to use leftover chicken, and this was one of them that came to mind. I don't make a lot of homemade soups, but this one is really a family favorite.

 

I kind of patterned this recipe off of a Barefoot Contessa recipe (maybe you can tell, she's rather a favorite of mine! Check out this recipe!), but I also make alterations for ingredients -- a lot. It depends on what I have on hand, and how much work I want to put into this.

 

 

I call it, Chicken Cheddar Chowder. The Contessa didn't call for chicken in her recipe, but I like it, and I like the nice alliteration in the title, so I'm sticking with it!

 

 

Ingredients!

(All proportions are subjective... we'll talk about that in a minute)

 

Bacon, chopped (about 1/3 cup)

1 cup chopped onion

4 T. butter

1/4 cup flour

2 t. salt

1. t. pepper

1 T. dried parsley flakes

About 4-6 russet potatoes, chopped to large-bite size

About 2 cups cooked chicken, bite size pieces

1 package frozen corn (or 1 can of corn)

2 cups half-and-half

1 - 1 1/2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese

 

 

Ok. There are different ways you can approach this soup. You can do it all-fresh, or you can use prepared or canned alternatives. Scroll down to the bottom for ways to either freshen it up, or ways to shortcut through it. I'm going to give instructions as though you are my college kids.

 

Start by boiling the potatoes. I am not a big fan of peeling potatoes, so I just scrub them and put them in. If you don't like potato skins, then peel them first. Stick them in a pot of salted water, bring it to a boil, and cook them for about 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally. (Kids, the potatoes are done when you stick a sharp knife in them, and they're soft) Drain the potatoes in a colander.

 

You could do this whole recipe in one pot if you want, but I often use a separate pot for the soup and the potato-cooking.

 

Melt the butter in a saucepan -- the same pot, if that's what you're doing, -- and add the chopped onions. Cook the onions until they're translucent (or however done you like them). Cameron, you can either skip the onions, or chop them finely, so you don't get big chunks of them.

 

Add the flour, and stir. Cook this for a couple of minutes. This is a roux [pronounced, "ROO"], and it is what will thicken your soup. You have to cook it a little first, or you'll end up with a raw flour taste. Usually a roux doesn't include the onions, but we're combining steps here.

 

As it cooks, it will look like this:

 

Because we want this fairly light-colored, don't overcook the roux. The longer it cooks by itself, the darker it will become, and the darker your final sauce (or soup) will be.

 

Add the half-and-half, a little at a time, and stir thoroughly with each addition.

 

 

Ok. So that's not half-and-half. But it's a shelf-stable alternative, and I often use evaporated milk in this recipe. See the notes at the end about alternative ingredients.

 

I always stir the liquid slowly into the roux, and by doing it a little at a time, I completely avoid the possibility of lumps. It just takes a few moments longer.

 

Add the salt & pepper. Then add the cheese, stirring until it is completely melted in.

 

 

 Add chicken, bacon, corn, and potatoes. Stir and cook over medium heat until hot.

 

If it's too thick, add some regular milk to thin it out. But I do like my chowder on the thicker side.

 

Oh, be still my heart!!

This stuff is so good, and filling. We're talking rib-sticking yumminess!

To serve, top it with more grated cheddar.

 

 

I love to serve this with hot crusty homemade bread -- when I plan it out enough in advance, that is!

 

 

Ok. Let's talk substitutions.

 

Bacon.

A) You can cut 1/2 pound of bacon into 1" pieces, and fry that up till it's crispy. Drain the bacon on paper towels and you can even use the bacon grease in the roux (replacing some of the butter). It will make it a little darker, but more flavor.

 

B) You can use pre-cooked bacon bits, straight out of the Costco package. You can taste test it to be sure it's delicious, too. Time-saving, and less cleanup. Probably costs a little more, and less fresh, and won't have the same crunch as what you fry yourself.

 

Cooked Chicken.

A) Ideally, you'd be using up some leftover cooked chicken, or you might cook something specifically for the soup. If you're cooking it for the soup, you can cook the roux & stuff in the same pan as the chicken pieces.

B) As you can see, I used some fully-cooked grilled chicken strips, cutting them into bites. Costco is my friend.

 

Frozen Corn.

A) In season -- you can use fresh corn, which would be super-yummy. But I like this soup in the fall and winter, so frozen corn is the next best option.

B) Easiest is canned corn, though --  I always have it on hand, and I actually usually use canned in this recipe. So shoot me. I use all the liquid from the corn in the soup, too. It helps keep it from getting too thick.

 

Half-and-Half.

A) The fresh taste beats everything. Really.

B) Canned (evaporated, not sweetened condensed!!) .... cost effective, shelf stable. But it will impart a distinctive taste that the discerning palette can detect. But the other flavors usually take over anyway.

 

Salt, Pepper, Parsley, Cheese.

You want fresh parsley?? Go for it. Really -- knock yourself out!

I tend to use fresh ground pepper and either ground sea salt or kosher salt in this.

But just because it makes me feel good, and I totally imagine that I'm a Food Network Star when I do it.

Obviously, regular salt and pepper is fine.

I usually use medium cheddar, because I buy it pre-shredded like that. But sharp cheddar will give you a better cheesy flavor. And let's be honest. Who doesn't like cheese?

 

And, finally -- I was trying to cut everything back when I prepared it for these photos, because really, there's just 3 of us at home that will eat it. Although she likes all the ingredients separately, Miss Emma is not a fan of this soup. Crazy kid. So there's less of everything in this, but it makes up the same anyway. This is one of the "popular leftovers" that never hangs around very long in my refrigerator -- which is always a clue that it's super-good!

 

Hope you're also staying warm with some homemade soup through these cold winter days!!

(More snow in the forecast for tonight!!)

Mwah!!