Recipe: Cheddar Corn Chowder

I already published a cheddar corn chowder recipe over six years ago, and it’s fantastic, but I thought I’d take this time to give it a freshening-up. You know, for the holidays.

Make it fancy by adding parsley and bacon on top

Cheddar Corn Chowder 
makes ~1 gallon of soup

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INGREDIENTS

• 8 oz Bacon, cut into 1/2″ pieces
• 1 Tbs Olive Oil
• 2 Large Onions, diced* (or 3 medium onions)
• 1 cup Celery, chopped
• 4 Tbs Butter (that’s 1/2 stick of butter)
• 1/2 cup Flour
• 1/2 tsp Turmeric
• 6 Cups Chicken Broth/Stock
• 2.5 lbs. Red Potatoes, diced*
• 2 lbs. Frozen Corn
• 1 Cup Half & Half
• 6 oz White Cheddar Cheese
• Salt & Black Pepper
• Flat-leaf/Italian Parsley, chopped (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In a large stock pot, cook the bacon pieces in a little olive oil until “nearly crispy.” Remove bacon with a slotted spoon and set-aside. Cook onion in bacon grease until softened (about 6 minutes). Add celery and cook for another 4 minutes.
2. Add butter, flour, turmeric, salt & pepper to taste, and cook for 4 minutes. This will develop a roux that will thicken the soup.
3. Add chicken broth and potatoes. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 15 minutes.
4. Add cheese, half & half, and corn. Cook for an additional 5 minutes or until the soup returns to temperature and the cheese melts.
5. Serve hot – crumble the cooked bacon on-top, you’ve earned it!
6. Optional: sprinkle-on some parsley for fancy dinner. Also, since it’s fancy, put-on some pants and eat at the table – you’re not an animal.

FAQs

• Bacon AND olive oil? Sounds greasy!
  I use a little olive oil because I think it adds to the taste, and you’ll need the oil to cook the onions and celery. It’s a rich soup and doesn’t taste greasy at all. Next time, keep your fucking opinions to yourself!
• Cheese and half & half & butter… Are you trying to kill me?
  This isn’t diet food, ok? I’m sure there are plenty of salad recipes just waiting for you and your fat ass!
• Do I need to cook the corn before I put it in?
  Nope. The hot soup will “cook” that corn just fine. Be sure to bring the soup back up to temperature before serving. The cold half & half and frozen corn will drop the temp quite a bit – it should only take a few minutes to get it back.
• What is “turmeric,” and what can I substitute?
  I don’t know what it is besides a spice that they sell at the store, but I do know that it makes the soup a very nice shade of yellow. I wouldn’t recommend substituting – surely someone of your means and wherewithal can find the time to go to the store.
• What kind of onions should I use? 
  I almost exclusively use white onions. Why? Who knows – I just like them. If you’re more of a yellow onion person, go ahead and try those. We’re not curing cancer here…

RECIPE NOTES

• Potatoes come in 5 lb. bags – use half a bag, and you’ll have another 2.5 lbs. for hash brown breakfast tomorrow.
• Serving size for this soup is about 1.5 cups (12 oz.), so 1 gallon should make ~10 servings: 128 oz. / 12 oz. = 10 servings, remainder 8 oz.