This chowder is lighter than many but incredibly tasty and very easy to make. It’s a slimmed-down version of Cafe Delite’s chowder and with a few twists added to amp up the flavor. An amazing dish!
Slow-Cooked Chicken Corn Chowder
An easy and lighter take on chowder, using chicken instead of seafood
Servings 8
Ingredients
- 2 skinless chicken breast Thighs can be used instead if you prefer
- 1 yellow onion
- 1 red bell pepper
- 5 medium potatoes Substitute one large sweet potato for two of the regular potatoes
- 2 medium carrots
- 2 cans corn kernels
- 6 oz bacon or pancetta
- ½ cup fresh mozzarella
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
- 2½ cups skim milk
- ¼ cup corn starch or corn flour
- 4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
- 1 tbsp butter or olive oil
Instructions
- Peel the potatoes and cut roughly. (Note: if using a sweet potato, dice it into ¼" cubes.)
- Dice the onion, pepper, and carrots.
- Cut chicken into bite-sized pieces and sear in a large pot with butter or olive oil over medium-high heat until browned. You are only looking to lightly sear the meat; it will finish cooking in the chowder.
- Add all of the vegetables (including potatoes), as well as the broth and garlic powder to the pot. Cover and reduce heat to low for 90 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- After 90 minutes, the potatoes should be easily pierced with a fork. If not, resume cooking until the potatoes are ready. (Note: if you are using a sweet potato, don't worry about whether it's softened.)
- Combine milk and corn starch, and stir.
- Add the milk mixture to the pot and stir. Cover and raise heat to medium-high until the chowder begins to thicken, approximately 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- In the meantime, slice the mozzarella and cube the bacon / pancetta.
- Once the chowder is thickened, use a potato masher or large fork to mash the softened potatoes. This will make the chowder a bit more creamy.
- Add salt and pepper (and red pepper flakes if you'd like) to taste. Note that you will probably need a generous amount to properly adjust the seasoning but don't overdo it; people can always add additional seasoning as the dish is served.
- Turn heat down to low and stir in the fresh mozzarella. Continue stirring until the mozzarella is fully melted into the chowder. Cover the chowder to keep it warm.
- Fry the cubed bacon or pancetta in a small skillet over medium heat until crispy. Remove with a slotted spoon to a plate covered with a paper towel to drain.
- Ladle the chowder into bowls and sprinkle bacon / pancetta bits for color. Eat with a chunk of rustic bread.