Corn Chowder - Comfort Food for a Tough Week!

This week has flown by in a haze of naps and nausea.  We've been dealing with the stomach flu with the odd cold mixed in.  Next time I'm going to hand out small bottles of hand sanitizer as party favors!!!

Tonight was the first night all week I had any energy to actually cook dinner and I knew I wanted it to be my comfort food - what my mom always made me when I was recovering from being sick.  Her Corn Chowder is one of the recipes I'm so happy I was able to learn how to make from her before she passed away.

I made it tonight and the boys absolutely loved it and I sent some over to my neighbors who are also wrestling with the same stomach flu.

The recipe is super easy to scale up if you need to make more and it's great paired with biscuits or Hawaiian rolls.  To make it interesting I used purple potatoes (you can buy them at Henry's) and it added a cool element.

Mom’s Corn Chowder
Ingredients:½ pound bacon, cut-up
1 medium onion, chopped (about ½ cup)
2 stalks celery, (chopped about 1 cup)
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
4 cups milk (skim is okay)
½ teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 can (17 ounces) cream-style corn, kernel corn is also fine
2 cups cooked potatoes (* see below)
Snipped parsley
Paprika

Directions:Cook bacon in 3 quart saucepan until crisp; drain, reserving 3 tablespoons fat in saucepan. Cook and stir onion and celery in bacon fat until onion is tender; remove from heat. Stir in flour. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is bubbly; remove from heat. Stir in milk. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Boil and stir 1 minute. Stir in salt, pepper, corn and potatoes; heat through. Be sure to let boil until the chowder is thick as it is better that way! Stir in bacon. Sprinkle each serving with parsley and paprika if you desire.

*Mom would use a portion of the bacon fat to cook the potatoes, that had been cut in to about 1/2 inch square cubes until tender. Cut the potato as if you are making fries, then cut each strip in to squares before cooking.

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Mom's Yummy Corn Chowder

Mom’s Corn Chowder

Ingredients:
½ pound bacon, cut-up
1 medium onion, chopped (about ½ cup)
2 stalks celery, (chopped about 1 cup)
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
4 cups milk (skim is okay)
½ teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 can (17 ounces) cream-style corn, kernel corn is also fine
2 cups cooked potatoes (* see below)
Snipped parsley
Paprika

Directions:
Cook bacon in 3 quart saucepan until crisp; drain, reserving 3 tablespoons fat in saucepan. Cook and stir onion and celery in bacon fat until onion is tender; remove from heat. Stir in flour. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is bubbly; remove from heat. Stir in milk. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Boil and stir 1 minute. Stir in salt, pepper, corn and potatoes; heat through. Stir in bacon. Sprinkle each serving with parsley and paprika.

*Mom would use a portion of the bacon fat to cook the potatoes, that had been cut in to about 1/2 inch square cubes until tender. Cut the potato as if you are making fries, then cut each strip in to squares before cooking.

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Creamy Broccoli Soup

Creamy Broccoli Soup

My Mom used to make this super healthy and delicious soup when I was a kid, now I make it for my kids and they love it too!

Ingredients:

1 ½ pounds broccoli
2 cups water
1 large stalk celery (chopped about ¾ cup)
1 medium onion, chopped (about ½ cup)
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
2 ½ cups water
1 tablespoon instant chicken bouillon
¾ teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
Dash of ground nutmeg
¼ cup whipping cream

Directions:
Heat 2 cups water to boiling in 3 quart sauce pan. Add broccoli (cut in to 1 inch pieces), celery and onion. Cover and heat till boiling. Boil until tender, about 10 minutes; do not drain. Place in blender container. Cover and blend until of uniform consistency.

Heat butter in 3 quart saucepan over low heat until melted. Stir in flour. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture is smooth and bubbly; remove from heat. Stir in 2 ½ cups water. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Boil and stir 1 minute. Stir in broccoli mixture, bouillon (dry), salt, pepper and nutmeg. Heat just to boiling. Stir in whipping cream. Heat just until hot (do not boil). Serve with shredded cheese.

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