How to Make a Bacon Cheddar Corn Chowder

Name: Bacon Cheddar Corn Chowder Recipe
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 45 min
Ingredients: 2 TBSPs butter; ¾ pound slab bacon, (diced into cubes); 1 large yellow onion, (diced); 4 stalks celery, (diced); ¼ cup flour, (optional ); 1 quart chicken broth; 2 pounds potatoes, russet or yukon gold (diced into bite-sized cubes); 1 teaspoon dried thyme (or 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves); 1 teaspoon dried oregano (or 2 teaspoons fresh oregano); 1 10 ounce bag frozen corn; 1 pint heavy cream; 8 ounces grated cheddar cheese; sea salt (and pepper, to taste); Chopped bacon; Fresh parsley, (chopped); Fresh chives, (chopped); Green onions, (chopped)

Chowder

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There’s nothing quite like a bacon cheddar corn chowder to lift your spirits in the middle of a New England winter. I mean you’ve got bacon, cheese and corn in soup form. How can that not make anyone happy?!

Besides the joy factor, a bacon cheddar corn chowder is super simple to make and will keep you well-fed for several days if you make a large portion.

Another bonus: It will give you some extra energy to shovel over a foot of snow. The night I made this recipe a big nor’easter storm blew through so I speak of experience here.

Yay winter.

How to Make a Bacon Cheddar Corn Chowder

A few things about the recipe are below. First, don’t use wimpy strip bacon or the typical brand-name crap from conventional supermarkets. Get some good quality slab bacon (preferably pastured) with thick, hearty layers of fat in it. You want that fat to render when you add it to the stockpot. This will give the soup a nice smoky flavor. It will also give you some nice thick pieces of bacon bits which you can see in the picture above.

Next, don’t be a wuss and use half and half, whole milk, or god forbid low-fat milk. They’re not creamy enough. Bacon cheddar corn chowder is meant to be thick and rich! Please use the heavy cream.

Finally, the flour will help thicken the soup but it’s optional if you’re on a gluten-free diet. If you choose to forego the flour, smash some of the cooked potatoes on the side of the stockpot and stir it in. The starch from the potatoes will help thicken the soup.

Bacon Cheddar Corn Chowder Recipe

Bacon cheddar corn chowder is a simple, nourishing chowder recipe with chunky pieces of potato, onion and bacon. Optional herbs such as green onions, chives or parsley add a nice touch at the end!

Course Main Course, Soup

Cuisine American

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 45 minutes

Servings 8 servings

Author Craig Fear

Ingredients

2 TBSPs butter
¾ pound slab bacon, diced into cubes
1 large yellow onion, diced
4 stalks celery, diced
¼ cup flour, optional
1 quart chicken broth
2 pounds potatoes, russet or yukon gold diced into bite-sized cubes
1 teaspoon dried thyme or 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
1 teaspoon dried oregano or 2 teaspoons fresh oregano
1 10 ounce bag frozen corn
1 pint heavy cream
8 ounces grated cheddar cheese
sea salt and pepper, to taste

Seasonings, to taste

Chopped bacon
Fresh parsley, chopped
Fresh chives, chopped
Green onions, chopped

Instructions

Melt butter in a large stockpot over medium heat. Add bacon and saute until bacon is crisp and browned but not burned. Remove bacon and set aside making sure to leave butter and bacon fat in the stock pot.
Add onions and celery to cooking fat and saute about 5 minutes until softened and fragrant.
Add flour, stir and whisk constantly for 1-2 minutes.
Add chicken broth, potatoes and herbs. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer gently, about 10 minutes, until potatoes are cooked through.
While potatoes are cooking, chop reserved bacon.
After potatoes are cooked, add corn and half the bacon cook a few minutes.
Add cream, mix well. Add cheese little by little, stirring constantly, until melted and mixed in.
Salt and pepper, to taste.
Serve in individual bowls and add additional bacon and seasonings, to taste.

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About the Author

Craig Fear is the creator of Fearless Eating and the author of three books, The 30-Day Heartburn Solution, Fearless Broths and Soups and The Thai Soup Secret. After years helping clients with digestive issues, Craig decided to pursue writing full-time. He intends to write many more books on broths and soups from around the world! Click here to learn more about Craig.