Potato Corn Chowder

Sense of Home Kitchen

Every summer I cream the corn while cutting it off the cob and freeze it for winter.  This year, while cutting corn off the cob, I decided that when winter rolled around I wanted to make a corn chowder with some of the corn.  Well, even though it was a mild winter, I could have done so when temperatures hovered around 20 degrees, but no, I waited until we got up to 60 degrees to make my chowder.  It was just as good.  I like a good soup no matter what the season.  Today, while temperatures threaten to reach 80 degrees (in March! mind you) I have decided to share my soup recipe.

Red skinned potatoes are good in a soup, they hold together well after boiling and they do not have the dry or mealy texture of some other potatoes.  Of course, bacon is yummy, the bell peppers add a sweetness, and the half and half is creamy, but my favorite part of this soup is the heat from the white and red pepper added at the very end.  Oh, when that hits the back of your throat it warms your whole body and makes you smile.

I am sitting outside with the cat as I write this, just can't get over how beautiful the weather is, I am looking at my garden and starting to plan what I should plant this year.  I want to plant more vegetables to eat right away.  I will can tomatoes as usual, but I don't think I will devote much space to green beans, just enough to eat at the table in summer.  I want bell peppers, jalapeños, a wide variety of heirloom tomatoes, lettuces, a variety of colorful carrots and eggplant to name a few.  I have a small garden, just 10 feet by 30 feet, so I can't plant everything we want to eat and preserve for winter so I will plant mostly garden to table vegetables, my parents have more space for canning produce and there is also the farmers market.

Potato Corn Chowder
~Sense of Home Kitchen, adapted from Gourmet, July 2008~
Makes 6 - 8 servings

4 cups corn, cut off the cob, along with the cream of the corn
3 cups of 1/2" cubed red potatoes (approximately 1 1/2 pounds)
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
1/2 orange bell pepper, diced
1/2 yellow bell pepper, diced
1 large carrot, diced
1 medium onion, diced
5 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled, drippings reserved
2 tablespoons reserved bacon drippings
2 quarts chicken stock
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dried thyme
2 cups half and half
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
Salt to taste

Cream the corn as you take it off the cob, instructions here, dice potatoes, bell peppers, carrot, and onion.  Cook bacon, reserving 2 tablespoons bacon drippings.  Set bacon aside to cool.

Bring chicken stock to a boil in a large soup pot, add diced potatoes and 1/2 teaspoon salt.  Turn heat down to low, cover and simmer potatoes, about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile place bacon drippings in sauté pan along with onion and saute until the onions are translucent.  Add bell peppers and sauté until tender.

Add to the potatoes and stock the sautéd onions and bell peppers, corn and its "cream", and thyme. Cover and continue to simmer, stirring occasionally, approximately ten minutes more.

After potatoes and corn are tender, add half and half, white pepper and cayenne.  Warm over low heat until the soup begins to simmer, do not boil.  Add salt to taste and serve.


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