Cheddar-Ham Chowder

A perfect soup for cold winter nights!

Makes

A lot

Hardware

• Saute pan
• 4 quart sauce pot
• 8 quart soup pot

Ingredients

1	lb		thick-cut bacon (sliced)
2	med		potatoes, peeled and cubed
3/4	cup		carrots, cubed
3/4	cup		celery, cubed
1	med		onion, cubed
2	c		water (or stock)
1/4	c		butter
1/4	c		all-purpose flour
2	c		milk
1	lb		corn kernels
3/4	c		ham (cooked), cubed
2	c		cheddar cheese, shredded
			salt
			black pepper

Procedure

1. Cut the bacon into pieces 1/2 to 1 inch wide; in a saute pan, cook the bacon over a low heat until done but not crispy; drain and set aside.


2. Put the water, potatoes, carrots, celery, and onions in the smaller sauce pot; if necessary, add water to cover the vegetables; bring to a gentle boil, and cook until the potatoes are just soft. Remove from the heat but do not drain.


3. If using frozen corn, add it to the pot with the vegetables; if the ham is cold, add it, too.


4. In the large soup pot, heat the butter then add the flour and stir until the mixture turns light brown


5. Add the milk and stir until it starts to bubble.


6. Add the cheese and stir until melted.


7. Add the corn, ham, bacon, the vegetables and their cooking water; stir until mixed well; add salt and pepper to taste; if the soup is too thick, add milk or water as needed.

Notes

The original recipe called for 1 1/2 cups of ham; I changed it to half ham and half bacon because, well, just about everything is better with bacon!

You want things in three sizes (in ascending order): the corn; the carrots, celery, onions, ham, and bacon; the potatoes. Keep the potatoes fairly small, maybe 1/2 to 3/4 inch cubes at most.

Rating

Difficulty:		Very easy
Time:		About 90 minutes
Precision:		2

Source

Adapted from a recipe from The Machine Shed (Des Moines, IA).