Creamy Corn Chowder

from Our Best Bites

I know it might defeat the purpose of copying all my recipes from these other blogs. My whole purpose in this blog, however, is not to make up my own recipes but share recipes that we may be hesitant to try. So there, that's my defense :).

Like I mentioned in a previous post, sometimes I think of an ingredient I have that I need to use (for example, this time it was potatoes) and work around that. This soup was sooo good and cheap and easy to make. In her blog post, the author mentioned that if you don't put bacon in it, you can put smoked paprika in. I did so anyways and I put a dash of liquid smoke in too because for some reason that night the creamed corn and onion taste was just overpowering for me and making me nauseated. All I had to buy was an onion for this because I had already had everything else stocked. Also, I put 2/3 of skim milk and 1/3 whole milk because that is what I had. Next time, though, I will use all skim because it is definitely thick enough without the whole milk. Enjoy!

Creamy Corn Chowder

2 Tbsp. butter
1/4 c. all-purpose flour
1 c. water
2 1/2 c. milk (skim or 1% work just fine and lighten it up considerably)
2 regular-sized chicken bouillon cubes, 1 Knorr chicken bouillon cube, or 2 tsp. chicken base
1/2 lb. bacon (optional)
1 onion, minced
2 red potatoes, diced into small cubes
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 can corn, drained
Salt and pepper to taste (you'll need a considerable amount of salt--probably at least 1/4 tsp. More about this later)
A few dashes of hot sauce (like Tabasco or Cholula)

Fry bacon until crisp. In the meantime, melt butter over low heat in a soup pot. When melted, add flour to make a roux and whisk until it comes together in a little ball. Add water and whisk until completely combined and there are no lumps. Add milk and chicken base or bouillon and bring to a simmer. Add potatoes, onions, and garlic, and simmer (but don't boil!), stirring very frequently, for about 20 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Add crumbled bacon and corn and heat through. Add a few drops of hot sauce and then salt to taste. The reason why I don't have an exact measurement is that while the soup REALLY needs salt, bacon also really differs in its saltiness, so it can be super easy to make this soup waaaaay too salty. Start with about 1/4 tsp., give it a few minutes, and then add more if you need it.

Ladle into bowls and sprinkle with extra bacon and/or cheese if you want. Because, you know, if there's anything a perfectly healthy bowl of soup (it's only 3 Weight Watchers points!) needs, it's some extra bacon and cheese!