My Mom's homemade bacon potato corn chowder was a treat for me when I was a child. I'm sure our Mom made it when the grocery budget got skinny, but we sure didn't know that, and we loved it.
When I walked into the house and smelled bacon and onions in the skillet, I knew what would be on the supper table. Mom always managed to have a fresh-baked loaf of her heavy, dense, old-world-style homemade bread to go with it. Sometimes, it was still warm from the oven! Pure bliss!
There's a snowstorm today, and we are well into "soup season." Bacon corn chowder might be the best dish to cozy up your dinner table. It goes together quickly and is incredibly tasty and satisfying.
This bacon potato corn chowder has a lot going for it! Best of all, it's inexpensive and quick to make, and you can have four hearty bowls on the table in about forty minutes! Add some grated cheese on top if you like, and garnish it with some chopped onion for a flavor boost!
The best part of all? It has bacon in it, which is enough reason to rustle up a batch real soon! And you can make it all in one skillet or Dutch oven! Make sure you choose one with a tight-fitting lid!
Start by cutting six slices of good quality bacon into pieces about an inch long and fry them in a skillet until they are crispy and brown. For me, there simply is no other bacon than Hormel Black Label Bacon! It's consistent, meaty, and has outstanding flavor!
While the bacon sizzles, chop about one-half of a medium onion. Set the bacon aside and use the tasty drippings to saute the onion! It's nearly impossible to resist snitching those tasty bits!!
While the onion is sauteing, peel and dice or chop three medium-sized Russet potatoes.
Add the potatoes to the onions in the skillet and saute them lightly, just until they're getting a wee little bit browned.
Make the chicken broth using water and Better Than Bouillon Roasted Chicken Base. I'm very loyal to the brands I love and wholeheartedly believe this is the best! Add the broth to the soup; you know me, I always have to have some parsley for color. 😉
Cover the pot while the potatoes cook.
Let the potatoes simmer in the broth until tender, then mash them lightly; you want to leave the chowder a little chunky. Finally, add the can of cream-style corn and enough cream or whole milk to make a nice consistency, heat it through, and stir in the bacon just before serving to keep it crispy.
Ladle the chowder into soup mugs or bowls, and as I mentioned earlier, top with some grated cheese if you like and some chopped onion for a flavor boost. You may even want to put the crispy bacon bits on top of the soup instead of in the soup!
We love a hunk of cheese and some chewy bread to go with this chowder; it's a perfect meal on a cold, snowy night!
I was curious why there are three names for something we put into a soup bowl, so here's what I found. In general, soup is thinner than stew. I should have known that!
However, a stew is usually cooked longer at a lower heat and with less liquid than soup. It gets its name from the cooking method used, and stewing helps tenderize tougher meat cuts.
Chowders are thicker than soups and usually have a milk or cream base. The exception that always comes up is Manhattan-style clam chowder, the red one!
The ingredients in chowder are chunky and hearty. The thickness in chowders usually begins with some form of a roux, but in this case, the starch in the potatoes gives this chowder its glorious rich body.
Corn chowder recipes started showing up in American cookbooks about twenty years after the Civil War ended, and many versions are out there.
Tender russet potatoes and cream-style corn in a savory broth with bacon, onion, chicken broth, and milk or light cream.
What special or memorable food did your Mom cook for you when you were little? Did she ever make corn chowder for you? Is there anything that sparks an especially happy memory in you? Food is a love language of its own, and it sure is one of mine! How about you?
Hey, if you make this bacon potato corn chowder, how about snapping a picture of it (and you!) We'd sure get a kick out of it!!
You might like these soup recipes, too, and watch for more because I'll be loading up on soup recipes from now until March! Try Easy Lasagna Soup, Easy Split Pea And Ham Soup, Instant Pot Beef Noodle Soup, or Vegan Minestrone; we love 'em all!
Soup makes such a wonderful meal on a cold, dark evening! It makes the world seem brighter, doesn't it?
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