Thursday, October 8, 2009

Barefoot Bloggers - Cheddar Corn Chowder


This week's Barefoot Blogger selection is Cheddar Corn Chowder and was chosen by....wait for it.....drumroll, please.......yes, ME, ME, ME!!! Thank you, thank you.

Can you tell that I need more to do around here?

So I chose Ina's Corn Chowder recipe. I think it's a perfect Fall soup and I've made it several times. I love the combination of the corn, potatoes, white cheddar and BACON!!! And it's one of those soups that just get better every day. Plus it freezes well. This is one of the things I used to make for Mr. B to keep in the freezer in Michigan.

This recipe makes a TON of soup, so if you're not interested in feeding an army or freezing it, I'd recommend halving it.

Here it is:

Cheddar Corn Chowder
Copyright, 1999, The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook, All rights reserved

Ingredients:

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
8 ounces 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.


Thanks to all of the Bloggers that cooked along with me this week. I hope you enjoyed the Chowder!!

14 comments:

  1. Jill! This was a great pic, thanks so much! Loved this one. Also--great to see a fellow Birminghamian here :) !! Have enjoyed reading your blog--makes me miss the South!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks so much for a great selection! We love our soups and this is a great add to our collection!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Thanks for choosing this recipe (I halved it and still had enough to feed a small army...)

    ReplyDelete
  4. Lovely choice. It's always nice to have another delicious soup in my repertoire.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Thanks for the yummy pick! I halved it too and I still have enough to feed an army. Glad to hear it freezes well.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Thanks for pick this recipe! I was a little worried when I found I had to make a chowder, and it turned out great! I like the fact that it is not as dense as typical NE chowders. Bravo!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Thanks for the choice - the perfect soup for a cold wet day at home. I have some tucked in the freezer waiting for our next miserable day as well!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Thanks Jill, I had fun with this one because I love making soup, but, no matter how hard one tries, soup just doesn't like to go in halves, it ends up being quarts no matter what! Congrats on your new family member!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Great choice! I really liked it despite the fact I had just made a massive pot of soup the day before this came up as the choice. Your post is hilarious!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Thanks for a fantastic pick! I made 1/4th of the recipe, and it still made a ton of soup.

    ReplyDelete