Every once in awhile, an urge comes along, and I have no idea where it came from. And really, it doesn’t usually matter from where! I just know I want to roll with it. As of late, that urge was to make a big pot of hearty homemade Corn Chowder for my family! When I spoke these thoughts aloud, I got lots of encouragement to go ahead and do it, from everyone in the house. So, I got looking for a good recipe.
However, I never managed to find a recipe quite to my liking. I didn’t want to use heavy cream (for our heart health), I did want to use certain kind of potatoes, more or less of this or that, and a little of somethin’ else, etc. So….in the end, I just comprised my own recipe. And since it was quite a satisfying success, I thought to share it with all of you! (You can thank me after you have some for yourself. 😉 )
Does it look delicious to you, or what?
I’m going to give you the general step-by-step first, with some photos, and then there will be a printable recipe for you at the end of this post.
Hearty Homemade
Corn Chowder Recipe
This hearty homemade chowder made with healthy wholesome ingredients is sure to please your whole crowd!
Ingredients
2 Tbs. Butter
2 Cloves of Garlic
2 Celery Stalks, chopped
1 med. Carrot, or evenly chopped baby carrots of equal amount
1 med. Onion, chopped medium
Kosher Salt and freshly ground Pepper
1/4 C. All Purpose Flour
4 C. Vegetable Stock. (Chicken will do fine as well.)
5 ears of Corn / kernels of; removed from ears. (Optional: 12 oz. frozen corn kernels.)
2 med. Red Potatoes, med. diced
2 C. Whole Milk
1/4 C. chopped fresh parsley
Corn Starch
*Optional; chopped ham. (We used our leftover Easter spiral ham slices, from the freezer.)
In a stock pot, melt 2 tbs. of butter over medium heat, and add the celery, carrots and onions, and saute’ until nice and soft; 8-10 minutes.
Dust the tender vegetables in the pot with the flour, and stir until all are coated. Then season with salt and pepper, to preference.
Next, add all of the stock, and bring it to a boil.
(Corn kernels cut from 10 ears of corn.)
(Diced red potatoes.)
Once the stock has come to a boil, add all of the corn and potatoes, and bring to a boil once again.
Reduce the heat, and let covered pot simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. This cooks the corn and potatoes to tender.
Pour in the milk and stir.
Now, to help thicken the broth, you want to dust in 2-3 of tablespoons of corn starch, a little at a time. Stir it well, and then let simmer with the cover on, for another 20 minutes, or until ready to be served.
(P.S. -Keeping the pot at least covered askew, helps the liquid of the chowder from evaporating too much, and losing your stock.)
* This recipe is not going to be a super thick chowder. If you wish it to be much thicker, you can do one of two things:
1. Use more corn starch.
2. Remove maybe 1/4 of the potatoes right after they have been cooked to tender in the stock, mash them up, and return to the pot.
We didn’t mind our chowder base on the thinner side.
(Shown here; My bowl of chowder, with a dash of salt, and of course…extra-peppered, as I always like it.)
At dinner, the corn chowder was served with hot ciabatta rolls, with freshly prepared herbed garlic dipping oil.
I can’t tell you how well-received my efforts were!
With perhaps some over-confidence and a quick prayer, I had made a big double-batch pot of this experimental Corn Chowder, and it lasted us for days! For a family of 6, it made us two dinners, and few lunches for some of us, as well. If anyone was eating it, they were talking about how much they ‘love this chowder’, and asking if I’d make it again soon.
Sound good to you and your family? You can print the recipe below, or pin this recipe to your Pinterest!
Go ahead, and be a chowder-crowd-pleaser, too!
- Hearty Homemade Corn Chowder
- 2 Tbs. Butter
- 2 Cloves of Garlic
- 2 Celery Stalks, chopped
- 1 med. Carrot, or evenly chopped baby carrots of equal amount
- 1 med. Onion, chopped medium
- Kosher Salt and freshly ground Pepper
- ¼ C. All Purpose Flour
- 4 C. Vegetable Stock. (Chicken will do fine as well.)
- 5 ears of Corn / kernels of; removed from ears. (Optional: 12 oz. frozen corn kernels.)
- 2 med. Red Potatoes, med. diced
- 2 C. Whole Milk
- ¼ C. chopped fresh parsley
- Corn Starch
- *Optional; chopped ham. (We used our leftover Easter spiral ham slices, from the freezer.)
- In a stock pot, melt 2 tbs. of butter over medium heat, and add the celery, carrots and onions, and saute' until are nice and soft; 8-10 minutes.
- Dust with the tender vegetables with the flour, and stir until all are coated. Then season with salt and pepper, to preference.
- Next, add all of the stock, and bring it to a boil.
- Once the stock has come to a boil, add all of the corn and potatoes, and bring to a boil once again.
- Reduce the heat, and let covered pot simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. This cooks the corn and potatoes to tender.
- Pour in the milk and stir.
- To help thicken the broth, dust in 2-3 of tablespoons of corn starch, a little at a time. Stir it well, and then let simmer with the cover on, for another 20 minutes, or until ready to be served.
- Note: Keeping the pot at least covered askew, helps the liquid of the chowder from evaporating too much, and losing your stock.
- Thickening Tips:
- * This recipe is not going to be a super thick chowder. If you wish it to be much thicker, you can do one of two things:
- Use more corn starch.
- Remove maybe ¼ of the potatoes after they have been cooked to tender in the stock, mash them up, and return to the pot.
Serve up and enjoy!- Store leftovers in refrigerator.
Please leave your thoughts with us!