Chow down on this chowder!

Good evening everyone! As October continues to roll along, the days are growing cooler and the weather is getting gloomier (well, in the midwest anyway). Rain, cold wins, overcast skies - all mark the onset of fall. It's days like these that lend themselves perfectly to homemade soups and stews. We're back this week with a cousin of the traditional stew (chowder) that works in some great fall flavors guaranteed to warm you on even the coldest days.


The Recipe: Corn & Sausage Chowder
Original Recipe Found In: Hy-Vee Seasons Magazine (October 2013 issue)

What You'll Need:

1 Pound Ground Pork Sausage (Mild)
3 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter
2 Cups Chopped White Onion (1 Large onion)
2 Clove Garlic (Minced)
1/3 Cup All Purpose Flour
32 Ounces Low Sodium Chicken Broth
2 Large Yukon Gold Potatoes (Diced in 3/4 inch cubes)
1 Teaspoon Dried Parsley
1 Teaspoon Dried Sage
1 Teaspoon Dried Basil
1 1/2 Cups Half and Half
3 Cups Frozen Corn (Thawed prior to use)
1 Large Red Bell Pepper (Diced fine)


Place a large stockpot over medium high heat and bring it to temperature. Once the pot is nice and hot, add the sausage and cook until completely browned and cooked through. Transfer the sausage to a bowl for storage, but reserve the drippings in the stock pot.

Next, add the butter to the pot and swirl until it melts completely. Once melted, add the onion and garlic. Reduce the heat to low and allow the onion to soften (3 to 5 minutes) before stirring in the flour. Work in small sections when adding the flour as the mixture can (and will) clump if too much flour is added at once.

Slowly add the broth the pot, making sure to gently stir as your pour in the broth. Increase the heat to medium before stirring in the potatoes, basil, sage and parsley along with a pinch of salt. Bring the mixture to boil before covering and reducing the heat to medium low. Allow the mixture to simmer for 10 minutes before moving on to the next stage.

Next, slowly add the half and half, corn, bell pepper and the sausage to the pot. Bring the mixture back to a simmer and allow it to cook for an additional 10 to 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender. Serve immediately with a pinch of salt and pepper to taste.

The Results:

This nice little chowder recipe packs a whole lot of flavor into every bite. The sausage and bell pepper add a bit of heat, while the potatoes and broth tone it all down with some nice neutral undertones. The end result is a balanced spoonful of flavor in every bite. This chowder recipe is easy (and fast) to put together and is sure to feed the whole family for multiple nights. That's a win-win in our book!


That's all we have for you this evening. Maggie will take to the kitchen on Wednesday night with a brand new recipe and I'll follow her on Thursday with a unique twist on a classic fall favorite. Until then,

~Cheers