Chicken Corn Chowder

By Addie

The Chicken Corn Chowder came from my friend Erin, who has a cooking blog of her own with her sisters called sister's cafe. She is an amazing cook! I think the original recipe came from picky palate, who is also great!

Ingredients

• 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 stalks of celery, finely chopped
• 1 medium bell pepper, color of choice, finely chopped (I like red and even a little green)
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 1 jalapeno, finely chopped, seeds and membrane removed (I have used hot sauce and it works great)
• 1/4 Cup thinly sliced or chopped ham or Canadian bacon
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 14 oz cans chicken broth
• 3 Tablespoons flour
• 3 ears of fresh corn kernels (I use frozen, just eyeball it)
• 2 large chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
• 4 oz softened cream cheese
• 1 Cup milk
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1 Cup shredded cheddar cheese

Preparation

Step 1

Place olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Sauté celery, bell pepper, onion and jalapeno until softened. Stir in garlic and ham; cook for another 3 minutes. Whisk the broth with the flour in a large bowl then stir into soup. Stir in corn and chicken. Bring to a low boil and reduce heat. Whisk together the cream cheese and milk in a large bowl until smooth. Stir into soup along with the salt, pepper and cheddar cheese. Simmer until ready to serve.

Tip: This can be a little time consuming, but if you cut up the vegetables and cook the chicken in advance, it is easily thrown together.

Tip: When I make a ham for dinner, I will save a portion of it to chop in small cubes, then put it in the freezer to pull out for recipes like this. I also buy red, green, yellow and orange bell peppers in bulk when they are on sale. I then come home slice them and put them in the freezer to pull out in recipes like this where they will be cooked anyway. It makes for a cheaper and easier meal.