Barefoot Bloggers: Cheddar Corn Chowder

I don't make enough soups. I always enjoy soup when I make it and it makes a nice meal with just a sandwich or salad so I am not sure why I never think to make it. Saying that - it was nice to see this selection to kick off soup season. In Minnesota it has been very cold this past week - hit 29 F one night and has pretty much stayed rainy and under 50 for a week or more. This is definitely what I would call good soup weather.

I did cut the recipe in half since it looked like it made a lot of soup. I left the Olive Oil out since it seemed like it wasn't needed and it would take the calories down a little bit. The soup was pretty easy to make and only took about an hour to make. It did take a lot of chopping. If I was going to do a full batch I might break out the food processor to chop all the onions.

The chowder was excellent. It was very tasty and satisfying. I think the servings must be at least 12-16 oz since even cut in half it will probably be twelve servings for us. I have seen some comments on it being thin for a chowder but I think it depends on what you are used to since I liked the consistency. If you want it thicker use more flour or less liquid - or check out Debby's blog, A Feast for the Eyes, to see what her secret is.

Thanks to Jill at My Next Life for this selection. She has a great looking recipe for what she calls Stromboli/Calzone/Pizza thingy that looks like it would be great for a party.

Cheddar Corn Chowder

(Source: Barefoot Contessa Cookbook, page 74)

Makes 10-12 Servings

Ingredients

• 8 ounces bacon, chopped
• 1/4 cup good olive oil
• 6 cups chopped yellow onions (4 large onions)
• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup flour
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 12 cups chicken stock
• 6 cups medium-diced white boiling potatoes, unpeeled (2 pounds)
• 10 cups corn kernels, fresh (10 ears) or frozen (3 pounds)
• 2 cups half-and-half
• 8 ounces sharp white cheddar cheese, grated

Directions

1. In a large stockpot over medium-high heat, cook the bacon and olive oil until the bacon is crisp, about 5 minutes. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and reserve. Reduce the heat to medium, add the onions and butter to the fat, and cook for 10 minutes, until the onions are translucent.
2. Stir in the flour, salt, pepper, and turmeric and cook for 3 minutes. Add the chicken stock and potatoes, bring to a boil, and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes, until the potatoes are tender. If using fresh corn, cut the kernels off the cob and blanch them for 3 minutes in boiling salted water. Drain. (If using frozen corn you can skip this step.) Add the corn to the soup, then add the half-and-half and cheddar. Cook for 5 more minutes, until the cheese is melted. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper. Serve hot with a garnish of bacon.