Chicken Corn Chowder

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Chicken corn chowder with potatoes, bacon and cheese is hearty, creamy and perfectly seasoned. This comforting dish is great for summertime, holidays and special meals.

Prep Time5

Cook Time35

Total Time40

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

4 slices of bacon, chopped
1 small onion, diced
2 medium russet potatoes, peeled and diced in ½ inch pieces (about 4 cups)
½ cup water
2 cups 2% milk, divided (see notes)
1 (12 oz.) package frozen corn (or about 3 cups fresh corn)
2 cups cooked, chopped chicken
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 ¼ teaspoons salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
½ cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

For serving (optional):

Extra cheese or bacon, sliced green onions, chopped fresh chives, cracked black pepper, hot sauce, oyster crackers, etc.

Instructions

Heat a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add the chopped bacon and cook, stirring occasionally, until well cooked on all sides. (Reduce the heat if yours starts to blacken.) Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and set aside on a paper towel.
Add the chopped onion to the bacon grease and sauté over medium heat until tender, about 5 minutes.
And the diced potatoes and water. Cover the pot and cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are fork tender.
Add 1 cup of the milk then carefully use an immersion blender to lightly blend the soup and break down the potatoes. They don’t need to be pureed and it’s OK to have some chunks, but you want them broken down a bit to help with the texture of the chowder. (Alternatively, you could transfer the mixture to a regular blender and pulse to break them down. Or use a potato masher and roughly mash the potatoes to break them down.)
Add the remaining 1 cup of milk, the corn, chicken, butter, salt and pepper. Bring the chowder to a low simmer then reduce the heat and cook over low heat for 5-10 minutes, until warmed through.
Serve the chowder topped with the shredded cheese, reserved bacon and any additional desired toppings. Enjoy!

Notes

Chicken: The chicken needs to be already cooked for this recipe. Please plan accordingly. You can use a rotisserie chicken from the store or boil a couple of breasts of chicken for about 30 minutes then chop.

Corn: I find it really easy and convenient to use a bag of frozen corn for this recipe. (You don’t even have to thaw it.) But you can substitute fresh corn if you’d like. You’ll need about 3 cups total.

Potatoes: Russet potatoes help give the starchiness and texture to this chowder. You could try it with another type of potato, like Yukons, but I’m not sure how it might change the chowder.

Milk: My preference is to use 2% milk for this recipe. I’ve tried it with skim and it just seemed a bit more watery and less rich. You could also use whole milk.

Bacon: We’re using the bacon in two ways. The grease from cooking it is what we sauté the onion in, and then we serve the chowder with the cooked, crumbled bacon pieces. This is a must for me. And in fact, I sometimes cook extra bacon in the microwave to have more for topping. 🥓

Spicy: You can add a jalapeño to sauté along with the onion if you want to add some spice to this. You can also serve it with hot sauce (which is what I do to keep it mild for my kids).

Storing and reheating: Leftover chowder, once cooled, can be stored in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Reheat over medium low heat on the stove until warmed through. It thickens as it sits, so you may need to add some extra milk. I don’t recommend freezing the leftovers. The potatoes and texture don’t stand up well to freezing and thawing.

Nutrition

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