Iowa Chowder Recipe

As we move into soup season, I remembered the Iowa Chowder that we've loved for so many years and wanted to retrieve the recipe from the old blog. We will have this later this week or maybe next week.

Ingredients:

1 cup onions, diced
1 cup celery, diced
1/4 cup butter
2 T. flour
2 cups water
3 cups potatoes, diced and cooked
1 – 17 oz. can whole kernel corn, drained
1/8 tsp. ginger
salt & pepper to taste
2 bay leaves
2 cups ham, diced
1-1/2 cups evaporated milk
8 oz. cream cheese

Directions:

Saute onions and celery in butter.  Sprinkle the flour over the onions and celery and stir til the flour barely begins to turn beige.  Add the water (which can be water from the potatoes, or liquid from the corn).  Stir until the water/flour is blended. Add corn, bay leaves, ginger, salt, pepper and ham.  Stir in milk and cream cheese.  Heat until cream cheese is melted.  Add the potatoes and cook til they’re warm.  Sometimes if it’s a little thick, I’ll add a bit of milk – 2%, whole milk . . whatever is in the fridge.

Darlene’s hints:

I dice the potato before cooking and cook until just tender – do not overcook.
Sometimes I add more corn than is called for.
Do not over salt as the ham adds saltiness.
Keeps well for several days in the fridge or can be frozen.

Serves 6 – 10 depending on serving size. (This only serves 6 – 10 if they aren’t very hungry!  When Chad was home, he would eat half of this in one sitting!)