What Potatoes to Use in Chowder
The best potatoes to use in this corn potato chowder are Yukon gold. They are creamy and buttery which is so perfect. If you want to use a different kind of potato, red potatoes would also work well. I’ve had readers ask me if you can make this recipe in the slow cooker. With just a few tweaks I have a great crockpot version of this fantastic dinner. It will be so perfect to come home to.
Combine ingredients. Add the onion, corn, garlic, potatoes, thyme, bay leaves, salt, pepper, and chicken stock to your slow cooker. Cook the chowder. Cook on low for six to eight hours, until the potatoes are soft. Make the roux. Before serving, cook the bacon in a skillet. Once browned, whisk in the flour. Slowly whisk in the heavy cream just a few tablespoons at a time. Then add more heavy cream once the last bit that you added has been absorbed until all of it has been added. Read more on this below.Combine the roux and the soup. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
If you prefer to use fresh corn, you will need about eight cobs of corn with silk and husks removed, corn cut off the cob. A great way to have fresh corn on hand for this recipe or any other corn recipes is to freeze fresh corn. It can be frozen in freezer-safe bags either on the cob (once you remove the husks and silks) or cut off the cob and frozen.
Tips and Tricks
Adjust the consistency. Chowders are supposed to be thick and creamy, but if you want to thin yours out add some additional chicken broth.Leave out the bacon. If your family doesn’t eat pork, swap out the bacon for butter. To make this recipe without bacon, replace it with three tablespoons of butter and proceed with the recipe as written. You likely will need to add some additional salt at the end of the recipe.Make it vegetarian. If you want to make this a vegetarian soup, use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth and butter instead of bacon as stated above. Dice the potatoes into small, even-sized pieces so they cook evenly in the crockpot. While you can peel your potatoes if you don’t like the texture of the skin, I love the flavor and nutrients the skin of Yukon gold potatoes add as well as the ease of leaving the peel on.
Storing and Reheating Leftovers
Store any leftover potato corn chowder in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four days. Reheat only the portion you plan to eat on the stovetop over low heat, stirring often to prevent it from separating. Always use your best discretion with leftovers.
Making Chowder without Bacon
Oftentimes butter is used to make a roux, like in my White Chicken Chili. If you would like to make this corn chowder soup recipe without bacon, melt three tablespoons of butter in a skillet and then proceed with the recipe as written adding the flour and heavy cream. I love topping this chowder with some fresh parsley and chives. This is a hearty meal that can be rounded out with some Cheddar Bay Biscuits and a Caesar Salad.
Freezing
Freezing cream-based soups isn’t my favorite because they can separate. While a soup that isn’t cream based can just be warmed up from frozen, this won’t work with a chowder. The key is to let the frozen soup thaw in the refrigerator overnight and to reheat it over low heat stirring often to prevent it from separating.
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