This month we have another guest post from library assistant Cindy!
With the start of the New Year comes the resolutions. Mine often includes trying to eat healthier. But it’s January and the weather begs for comfort foods. This recipe for Cheddar Chicken Chowder fits both of these needs. I like that this is simple to prepare and doesn’t require exotic ingredients. I originally found this in a Cooking Light magazine years ago, and it quickly became a dinner my family asks for often. The magazine is no longer published, but there are several Cooking Light cookbooks in the library collection.
Adding Cheddar cheese to this chicken chowder filled with diced potato, corn, and bell pepper makes the soup even more creamy and flavorful.
Yield: 7 servings (serving size: 1 1/2 cups)
Ingredients
- 2 bacon slices
- Cooking spray
- 1 pound skinned, boned chicken breast, cut into bite-size pieces
- 1 cup chopped onion (1 medium onion)
- 1 cup diced red bell pepper (1 medium pepper)
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 4½ cups fat-free chicken broth
- 1¾ cups diced peeled red potatoes (3-4 medium potatoes)
- 2¼ cups frozen whole-kernel corn
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 cups 2% low-fat milk
- ¾ cup (3 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
Directions
- Cook bacon in a Dutch oven coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan. Crumble; set aside. Add chicken, onion, bell pepper, and garlic to bacon fat in pan; sauté 5 minutes. Add broth and potatoes; bring to boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Add corn; stir well.
- Place flour in a bowl. Gradually add milk, stirring with a whisk until blended; add to soup. Cook over medium heat 15 minutes or until thick, stirring frequently. Stir in cheese, salt, and pepper. Top with crumbled bacon.
Chef’s Notes
To save time, buy pre-chopped onion and bell pepper and a package of pre-shredded cheese.