Corn and Cheese Chowder

This soup was a hit at our house!  One of my favorite food blogs is the Pioneer Woman and she now has a food show on the food network.  She made this soup this last Saturday and it was super simple and very very good!

Soups are a wonderful meal in the winter!

Todd thought we should have had a sandwich or something else with it, but I thought it was great all by itself!  It depends on your feelings for meat in every meal or not!

This is definitely a keeper and one I will make often~just add a sandwich or maybe some potatoes to the soup would make it a little heartier!

Corn and Cheese Chowder

(Pioneer Woman via Food Network)

• 4 tbsp butter
• 1 whole onion, chopped (I used 1/2 onion)
• 3 slices bacon, cut into pieces (I used 4 to add a little more bacon)
• 3 whole bell peppers, finely diced ~ red, yellow, orange
• 5 ears corn, kernels sliced off (or 1 pkg frozen white corn thawed, which is what I used)
• 1/4 cup flour
• 3 cups chicken stock or broth
• 2 cups half-and-half
• 1 heaping cup of Monterey Jack cheese
• 1 heaping cup of Pepper Jack cheese
• 1/3 cup sliced green onions
• salt and pepper
• Bread bowls if you want to serve in them or crusty bread to dip and eat with it

I pre chopped all my vegies before I started and had my cheese grated.  It seemed to make it simpler for me especially as you might be helping kids with homework etc.

In a large pot, melt butter.  Over medium-high heat, add your chopped onions and cook for a few minutes.  Add your bacon (I find it easy to cut my bacon as I put it in the pot with kitchen scissors) and cook for another minute or so.  As the onions and bacon are cooking, I periodically stirred the mixture.  Now add your chopped bell peppers and stir occasionally cooking for a few minutes.  Finally, add your corn and cook again for a few minutes.

Sprinkle the flour evenly over your mixture and stir to combine.  Pour in the chicken stock and stir well.  Allow this to thicken for 3-4 minutes, and then reduce heat to low.  Stir in your half-and-half and then cover and simmer for about 15 minutes or so. 

Stir in cheeses and green onions.  When the cheese is melted and the soup is hot, check your seasonings and add salt and pepper if needed. 

Serve in bread bowls, or in bowls with bread to eat with it.  My kids dipped their bread in the soup and also ate with saltines.  You can also eat this with a sandwich also!