Chicken Corn Chowder

Do you ever have a meal that came about simply by combining leftovers to form something different? Okay, so a lot of us have those. Here’s another.
I make a damn good creamed corn. Seriously, it is fantastic. It is one of those things that if I didn’t make this side dish with pork chops and homemade chunky applesauce, the meal just would not be complete. Of course, it goes great with just about any meat, but has a certain affinity to pork and chicken. This creamed corn is the base for my Chicken Corn Chowder, however, it is not necessary in order to produce a delicious soup.

Baked chicken thighs form the other main ingredient, and I almost always have leftovers of those. But, much like the creamed corn, if you only have fresh or frozen chicken, that will work too. The thing about soups is that they are easily adaptable to whatever ingredients you have on hand, whether they be leftovers or frozen.

If you happen to have leftover creamed corn and baked chicken thighs, simply fry up a couple slices of bacon, chopped into smaller pieces, drain out most of the fat, toss in some diced onion into the bacon grease and cook for a few minutes until the onions translucent and glossy. Next, chop a potato or two into bite size or smaller pieces, same with the chicken, dump it all into the soup pot with enough milk, half and half or cream to cover everything and cook until the potatoes are tender. But, if you don’t have leftovers, don’t fret! This soup tastes great just about any way you make it, and the following recipe will show you how to make it with fresh or frozen ingredients.


Chicken Corn Chowder


4 slices bacon, chopped
1 medium onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
2 celery stalks, diced
1 pound bag frozen corn, or 4-6 fresh ears
1½ pounds chicken thighs, chopped into bite size pieces
2 potatoes, diced
4-6 cups milk, half and half, cream or combination
4 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon thyme
Salt and pepper to taste

Cook the chopped bacon in a 6 to 8 quart stock pot over medium until it is crispy. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain all but 1 tablespoon fat, and cook the onions until translucent and glossy, about five minutes. Add bell pepper, celery, and corn and cook for a few minutes more. Next, add the chicken and potatoes, then add the milk until it covers everything, you may not use it all, or you may need more, so don’t bother measuring this part. Add salt, pepper and thyme and stir to incorporate everything. Put four tablespoons butter, in four pats, on top of the soup and bring to a low boil, then turn the heat down to low to medium low and cook for 45 minutes to an hour, or until the chicken is cooked through and the potatoes are tender. Check the seasoning, and add more salt and pepper if needed before serving.

See, even without leftovers, this is a pretty simple and satisfying lunch or supper. But the best part is that it contains all the major food groups, and is quite filling by itself. But I find fresh, homemade buttermilk biscuits and a simple salad make this meal complete.