Cheesy Corn Chowder (small batch)

 

 

As I write this on Thursday afternoon it is a cold and blustery day out. Well, not as cold as it has been, but it is raining and miserable and when you are out in it, it feels cold.  This is perfect soup weather and so I made myself a small pot of Cheesy Corn Chowder.

I do so love chowders. They are a bit heartier than just having a bowl of soup. Just the name makes you feel like you are eating something really special and this is a really special version of corn chowder.

It is a bit different than my usual corn chowder recipe in that it uses cheese and is a bit richer in flavor.  I used to make that other one every Sunday for my family after church because it was quick and easy to make and also quite economical. With five hungry children to feed it only made sense!

 

This Cheesy Corn Chowder Recipe comes from the pages of my Big Blue Binder.  This is a recipe binder that I have carried back and forth across Canada and back and forth the Atlantic Ocean. I've been lugging it around for about 50 years now.  It holds all of my tried and TRUE's as well as recipes gifted to me by family and good friends. It is like a community cookbook, except it is MY community!  The Community of a lifetime of good eating.

In a way it is like the history of my culinary journey, and it is something which is very precious to me. I like to think that when I go to the big kitchen in the sky my kiddies will be fighting over who gets it.  ha ha

One can but dream!  In any case, this is a real winner of a soup. It was a magazine clipping I clipped out many years ago, probably from Canadian Living magazine and was a prize winner back then, so you just know it is really good.  This is a small batch recipe of the original recipe that was printed.

Enjoy!

 

WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE CHEESY CORN CHOWDER (small batch)

Some pretty simple ordinary store cupboard ingredients. With the exception of the fresh herbs, these are things which I have to hand most of the time.  You can always use dry herbs instead of fresh.  That's what our mothers did! Just cut the amounts used in half.

• 1 1/2 TBS butter
• 1 small onion, peeled and chopped
• 1 medium potato, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
• 1 small bay leaf, broken in half to release the oils
• 1/4 tsp whole cumin seeds, bruised
• 1/8 tsp dried sage
• 1 1/2 TBS plain flour
• 1 cup (240ml) chicken stock
• 3/4 cup (180ml) light cream or milk
• 3/4 cup (115g) frozen corn
• 1 TBS chopped fresh parsley
• 1 TBS chopped fresh chives
• 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/8 cup (30ml) dry white wine
• 1 cup (115g) grated strong cheddar cheese, plus more to sprinkle
• salt and black pepper to taste

 

Just use an ordinary all-purpose use type of potato. One that is good for mashing, or boiling, chips, etc.  I just wouldn't use a waxy salad type of potato.

Breaking your bay leaf in half really helps to release its flavor. Likewise, the bruising of the cumin seeds. To bruise them I just press them down hard on my cutting board with the bottom of a jar.

I use Better than Boullion Chicken stock. You could keep this vegetarian by using vegetable stock.

Light cream is the same as half and half. You could also use evaporated milk. I used whole milk this time as this was what I had in the house.

No white wine?  No problem. Use extra chicken stock. 

I used an extra strong white cheddar cheese. Grate it yourself if you can. Those pre-grated cheeses have things like cellulose or potato fiber added so that they pour out easily. You don't want that in your soup.

HOW TO MAKE CHEESY CORN CHOWDER (small batch)

This is really not all that hard to make. Just make sure that you do not let it boil once you add the cheese!

Melt the butter in a saucepan with a heavy bottom. Add the onion, potato, broken bay leaf, cumin seed and sage.

Cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally until the onion is softened without browning.

Stir in the flour. Cook and stir for about 2 minutes. Don't let it brown.

 

Whisk in the stock and the milk.

Bring to the boil, whisking constantly until smooth. Reduce to medium low and simmer, stirring often, for about 30 minutes, until the potatoes are tender.

Stir in the corn, parsley, chives, nutmeg and wine. Simmer for a further 5 to 6 minutes until heated through.

 

Discard the bay leaf. Stir in the cheese and heat over low heat, just to melt the cheese. Do NOT let the soup boil.

Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and black pepper. Serve hot, ladled into heated bowls with a spoonful of cheddar sprinkled over top of each.

 

This is a really delicious bowl of soup. It is hearty and filling and loaded with lots of flavor and texture. I love that it uses everyday ingredients that I have in the house most of the time. Rich and delicious, it went down a real treat on a cold, blustery and rainy day.

I enjoyed it with some of those cheeky puff pastry sticks that you can buy. So naughty but so nice.  Crusty bread or crackers would also very well with this!

 

Are you in the mood for a hearty soup?  I say let's enjoy soup weather while we still have it. Here are a few other favorites of mine!

WINTER VEGETABLE SOUP WITH CHEDDAR DUMPLINGS - Soup with dumplings?  Count me in!  Especially cheese dumplings.  Simple to make and using simple everyday ingredients. It's also a great way to use up what's in the fridge. This is a deliciously hearty soup with plenty of vegetables, ham and fluffy cheese dumplings. I guarantee your family will love this! 

BAKED POTATO SOUP - This potato soup is a delicious bowl filled with all the comfort food goodness of a loaded baked potato. Rich and belly warming, this is sure to become a favorite! What's not to like about a rich and creamy soup that is loaded with cheddar cheese, crisp bacon, sour cream and spring onions?? Nothing that's what! 

Yield: two to three servings

Author: Marie Rayner

Cheesy Corn Chowder

Prep time: 5 MinCook time: 40 MinTotal time: 45 Min

This is a small batch recipe for an old favorite. It is rich and delicious. You can easily double the measurements to make more if you with, however I do not believe that it freezes well because of the cream in it. There is a risk of it splitting.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 TBS butter
• 1 small onion, peeled and chopped
• 1 medium potato, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
• 1 small bay leaf, broken in half to release the oils
• 1/4 tsp whole cumin seeds, bruised
• 1/8 tsp dried sage
• 1 1/2 TBS plain flour
• 1 cup (240ml) chicken stock
• 3/4 cup (180ml) light cream or milk
• 3/4 cup (115g) frozen corn
• 1 TBS chopped fresh parsley
• 1 TBS chopped fresh chives
• 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/8 cup (30ml) dry white wine
• 1 cup (115g) grated strong cheddar cheese, plus more to sprinkle
• salt and black pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Melt the butter in a saucepan with a heavy bottom. Add the onion, potato, broken bay leaf, cumin seed and sage.
2. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally until the onion is softened without browning.
3. Stir in the flour. Cook and stir for about 2 minutes. Don't let it brown.
4. Whisk in the stock and the milk.
5. Bring to the boil, whisking constantly until smooth. Reduce to medium low and simmer, stirring often, for about 30 minutes, until the potatoes are tender.
6. Stir in the corn, parsley, chives, nutmeg and wine. Simmer for a further 5 to 6 minutes until heated through.
7. Discard the bay leaf. Stir in the cheese and heat over low heat, just to melt the cheese. Do NOT let the soup boil.
8. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and black pepper. Serve hot, ladled into heated bowls with a spoonful of cheddar sprinkled over top of each.

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