What Makes This Recipe So Good
Unlike some soups, this chowder is thick, creamy, and super satisfying. It’s full of protein and nutritious, fibrous vegetables, plus it’s thickened with mashed potatoes. It definitely won’t leave you hungry!This is a great way to use up leftover or frozen corn and leftover shredded chicken. You could also use canned corn (drained and rinsed) and a rotisserie chicken to make things even easier. Want to cut down on the prep time even more? Use a bag of frozen chopped peppers and onions.Speaking of leftovers, chicken corn chowder keeps and reheats pretty well. Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge up to 5 days and reheat it in the microwave or on the stove, adding more half-and-half as needed if it’s too thick. I don’t recommend freezing it, though. It doesn’t have the best texture after it thaws.
Key Ingredients
Corn – Like I mentioned earlier, this is a great way to use up the frozen corn you saved last summer (or picked up at the store last week, whatever). You could also use canned corn, though. Just make sure to drain and rinse it really well. For a really creamy (and mildly sweet) chowder, add a can of creamed corn to the recipe.Half-and-Half – Heavy cream is too thick here, and whole milk is too thin. The solution? Half-and-half! This cream + whole milk hybrid gives the chowder that perfectly balanced consistency.
Chef’s Tips
For a spicier, Southwestern-style corn chowder, include some diced jalapeños, drained and rinsed black beans, crushed red pepper flakes, and lime juice.For a smoother, thicker consistency, transfer the cooked potatoes out of the chowder and mash them really well, then stir them back in. You can mash all the potatoes or just a few, depending on the texture you like, or you can leave them all unmashed.You can skip the bacon altogether if you prefer, but you’d need to use another fat to create the roux, since you won’t have the bacon drippings. Butter is probably the easiest alternative.
Other Tasty Soups and Chowders
Creamy Fish ChowderItalian Meatball Soup with Homemade MeatballsCrockpot Zuppa Toscana (Whole30)Healthy Creamy Clam Chowder (Whole30, Paleo, Dairy Free)Southwest Chicken Soup (Chili’s Copycat)
