cheddar corn chowder

It’s getting cooler out!!!! I’m excited about that. Can you tell?  I have been wanting to make this for a long time but it has just been to stinkin hot to bother. Now that mother nature is finally cutting us some slack I decided to make it for dinner. There are many diffrent versions for this chowder but this one is my fave. It’s sweet and creamy, hot and cheesy everything a corn chowder should be.  And if you remove the bacon and replace the chicken stock with vegetable stock it’s a vegetarian meal (which my son refuses to do). I also made some herbed butter milk biscuits to go with it. Its so good and I highly recommend it!

Cheesy Corn Chowder (Ina Garten’s Barefoot Contessa)

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

1/2 pound sharp white cheddar cheese, grated

Directions

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.

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, or whatever you desire J