Creamy Corn Chowder

Well world, we are again going to try and make an attempt to keep this recipe blog up to date. A lot has happened to us in the past year since we have blogged. We had a baby, sold our home, moved in with the in-laws while looking for a home, started a Masters program, and finally bought a home much closer to my work. Now that things are starting to settle again, we can start experimenting and testing out recipes. Our first attempt: Creamy Corn Chowder.

A few days ago I met up with some of my study group at a restaurant in SLC called Blue Lemon. I've been there many times, but this time they had Corn Chowder as the special of the day. I have always been a huge fan of corn soups so I got it. It was pretty awesome. It made we want more. So I decided to try to recreate it at home. While researching recipes I found that there were a lot that used fresh corn rather than canned or frozen corn. With it being November, it's pretty hard to find fresh corn without it being really expensive. A lot of recipes I found also had negative comments saying that they were bland and watery. So I decided to try to make ours like a broccoli and cheese soup. Needless to say, it was a big success. So here is my version:

(Sorry for no pictures yet, I didn't know how this recipe will turn out, but I know we will be making it again soon so i'll take pictures then)

Creamy Corn Chowder

6 Strips of bacon
2 Tbs butter
1 large onion, diced
1 rib of celery, diced
1 garlic cove, crushed and diced (for soups I like using the jar minced garlic you can get at the store, it's a bit milder than fresh garlic)
2 cups of chicken stock
4-5 potatoes, peeled and chopped into 1/4" cubes
2 cans of creamed corn
1 pound of frozen corn
Pinch of cayenne pepper
2 cups of heavy cream (I'm sure you could use half and half, I just had cream on hand)
1 Tbs flour
1/2 Tbs of sugar
1 Tbs of water and 1 Tbs of corn starch mixed to create a slurry (optional)
1/2 cup of shredded monterey cheese
Salt and Pepper to taste (and taste a lot to make sure you don't over salt)


1. In a large pot, cook the bacon on medium high until they are pretty crispy. Remove the bacon and set aside keeping it's drippings in the pot. There should be about two tablespoons of drippings, if there is more, then I would remove all but 2 tablespoons.

2. Add the diced onions and celery. Cook the vegetables, stirring occasionally, until they become translucent, probably 4-5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another minute more.

3. Add the butter, potatoes, chicken stock, creamed corn, and 1/2 of the frozen corn. Stir to combine and bring to a boil. Put a lid on the pot and let boil until the potatoes get soft. This may take 15-20 minutes so keep testing the potatoes. Once they are soft, turn the heat down to a low simmer. (Make sure it is not boiling anymore)

4. In a separate bowl, mix the flour and the cream until the flour is dissolved. Slowly add the cream to the chowder. Add the cayenne pepper and sugar. Let the chowder simmer (not come to a boil) for about 10-15 minutes. Taste as you go and adding salt or pepper to taste. Again, don't overdo it since this can get salty really quick.

5. (Optional) If the chowder is seeming a little thin for your liking, then you can add the slurry of water and corn starch. This should help thicken up the chowder.

6. Just before you are ready to serve, add the cheese and remaining half of the frozen corn. Test again for flavor, adding salt or pepper to taste. If you want the soup to be a little more sweet, add a little bit more sugar. Let cook until the frozen corn is now fully cooked, about 1-3 minutes.

7. Serve with the crumbled bacon on top and chopped chives. Enjoy!