Chipotle Cheddar Corn Chowder

Feb 20, 2013 by Lindsey

This chowder makes me feel like the best cook ever.

 

It is tasty.

It is cheesy.

It is spicy.

It has hominy in it. Hominy is such a great food word.

It is cheesy.

It will make you want to share my blog with everyone. Hopefully.

Got the point? All in all, I have been tooting my own horn ever since I made this amazing chowder. I wish I could say it was my dazzling cooking skills, but really, this is just a great recipe that anyone can enjoy. I put some adobe and bell peppers, cream, broth, 3 different kinds of corn, spices, potatoes, cheddar, then topped it all with some avocado. Words cannot describe how amazing this turns out. Thick, sweet, spicy, and good to the last spoonful.  I am excited for you to try it!

Here is how you make my Chipotle Cheddar Corn Chowder (a.k.a. Lindsey Soup around here)

Time: 45 minutes (including prep)

Serves: 4-6 bowls

Ingredients

• 4 table­spoons unsalted butter
• 1 tea­spoon cumin
• 1/2 tea­spoon oregano
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• a dash of pepper, to taste
• 2 chipo­tle chili’s–diced with 2 tablespoons of the adobo sauce (I would say this is a “medium” heat level for those who are not used to the distinct kick of adobo sauce – adjust with more or less sauce to taste)
• 3 celery stalks, sliced into half-moons
• 1 green bell pepper–diced
• 4 large cloves garlic–minced
• 4 table­spoons flour
• 2 cups 1/2 & 1/2
• 3 or 4 cups chicken stock/broth
• 1/2 tea­spoon kosher salt
• 2 large rus­set potatoes–diced medium
• 2 cups sharp cheddar
• 1 (16oz.) can hominy 
• 1 small can cream style corn
• 1/2 cup frozen sweet white corn kernels
• 1 avocado–diced (for garnish)

Instructions

1. In large, heavy pan, heat but­ter over medium-high heat.
2. Add cumin, oregano, and paprika. Stir for one minute until butter is melted.
3. Add chipo­tle chilis. Let sweat until they turn a bright color. 
4. Add celery and pep­per. Sauté until they begin to soften.
5. Add gar­lic. Sauté 1 minute while stirring.
6. Add flour and stir to make roux.
7. When it clumps together, slowly stir in liquids. You will need to keep stirring every 3-5 minutes to prevent the cream from developing a film on top.
8. Add diced pota­toes and let sim­mer until pota­toes are tender. (20 minutes)
9. In the last 10 minutes, add grated cheeses in small hand­fuls, stir­ring until melted. I turned the heat down low for this.
10. Add drained hominy, frozen corn, and cream style corn.
11. Serve with avocado garnish.

Little else needs to be said in favor of my chipotle cheddar corn chowder. I have never had soup this delicious in all my life. Spicy, sweet, savory, and oh-so-satisfying. You don’t even need a side dish. The avocado garnish balances perfectly with the spicy chipotle peppers and cheesy broth. Go make yourself a bowl!

Lots of love,

Lindsey

 

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Baked Potato Soup

Nov 28, 2011 by Lindsey

I almost ruined the potatoes at this year’s Thanksgiving.

Yep. The girl with a food blog? That would be me.

And I almost ruined the potatoes at this year’s Thanksgiving.

One of the pitfalls of having a blog about cooking is that people expect me to cook perfect meals all the time. Well, truth be told, it doesn’t quite work that way. Here’s a piece of advice for you: Did you know that uncooked frozen potatoes turn purple? Can you imagine, at 10:30AM on Thanksgiving Day, opening up your tin-foil covered casserole to find that your scalloped potatoes had turned purple? I can, because it happened. I quickly discarded my attempt at a “make-ahead casserole” on Thanksgiving Day and went to Randall’s to buy more potatoes for the meal. I made a lovely batch of mashed potatoes to accompany our dinner. No one has to know about the purple potatoes except us. And the whole internet.

On Sunday, of course I returned home from Austin to see three giant russet potatoes staring back at me in my refrigerator, only reminding me of my gaff. I also had nothing to blog about for today. So, I turned my potato karma around and made a truly delicious batch of baked potato soup.

This recipe is loosely adapted from “Cooking Light” magazine, using lowfat milk, lowfat sour cream, no butter, and lots of simple spices. It is a great soup to serve alongside baked ham-and-cheese sliders, or with a crusty piece of bread. Here’s how I did it:

Ingredients (not pictured):

About 2 cups of coarsely mashed baked potatoes.

4 cups of 2% milk

3/4 cup of flour

1 cup of lowfat sour cream

1 cup of grated cheddar cheese

Plenty of salt and pepper to taste)

More cheese and chopped bacon for serving.

Instructions:

Do what you need to do to get 2 cups of fresh mashed potatoes. I baked my potatoes at 400 degrees for one hour, pierced with a fork and drizzled with olive oil. In a large bowl, use a knife and fork to chop them up. The steam will continue to cook and soften them while you prepare the other ingredients.

While the potatoes are set aside, heat the milk and flour in a large stock pot. Whisk over medium heat for about 6 minutes.

When the flour and milk sauce is smooth and thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, add the cheddar cheese, sour cream, and mashed potatoes. Season generously with salt and pepper. Once the ingredients are combined and heated through, the soup is thick enough that it can be served immediately.

I topped mine with cheddar cheese and chopped bacon. I also prepared some baked ham-and-cheese sliders to enjoy for lunch throughout the week.

The red wine added Vitamin C and antioxidants to our meal…

The baked sliders added protein…

The soup was just proof that I do know how to cook potatoes.

Hope you enjoy! Have a great week!

Lindsey

 

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Loaded Baked Potato Dip

Jul 19, 2011 by Lindsey

Loaded Baked Potato Dip is awesome. That’s really all I need to say as far as introductions go.

This dip  is the perfect solution to anyone looking for an alternative to chips and salsa or veggies and hummus. It tastes just like a baked potato! I recently travelled to Jackson Hole, Wyoming and was looking for a simple snack to prepare for my new friends while we got ready for a really incredible wedding – this recipe hit the spot! There were barely any leftovers. Plus, preparation is a snap: simply add your favorite potato toppings into sour cream and serve with potato chips or oven-baked french fries.  I found this recipe in Southern Living and it pretty much changed my world. Here it is. Get ready.

INGREDIENTS

8 oz (small container) of sour cream

2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese

6-8 pieces of fully cooked bacon slices, finely chopped (I prefer microwaveable for this dip – much easier to clean up)

1/2 cup freshly chopped chives

Plenty of freshly cracked pepper

A few dashes of your favorite hot sauce (optional)

1/2 packet of ranch dressing seasoning (optional- I add this ingredient to everything)

Chips or Waffle Fries (or veggies if you must) for serving

DIRECTIONS

Cook and chop the bacon. Then mix all of the ingredients together. Serve with your favorite potato chips or oven-baked french fries. That’s it! This recipe is extremely simple considering the huge “wow” factor after you take your first bite. It was so good that I just had to share it with you!

Lots of love,

Lindsey

 

 

 

 

 

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