Gifts from the Kitchen, Winter Warmth Chowder with Potato Croutons
I know people think I spend tons of time in the kitchen, but I really don’t…my son cooks a lot for us, and so does my husband…and when we cook, we tend to go big so we have leftovers to eat or freeze…
Or, as in this case, so we can share with my busy daughter and son-in-law
They have their hands full with these two!
This soup comes with bacon, green onions, cheddar, and tater tot garnish!
This is a soup recipe full of short cuts to make it easy for you to get out of the kitchen quickly!
It’s a satisfying and hearty potato chowder, loaded with vegetables
Frozen hash browns and corn, cheddar, mirepoix {chopped carrots, celery & onion}
Chicken broth, Cream of Chicken & Mushroom Soup, bacon, cream cheese, tater tots and green onions
Cook bacon strips,* then remove to drain on paper towels and sauté carrots, onion and celery in a little of the remaining bacon grease until soft, covering with a lid to speed cooking along
*if you don’t want to use bacon, just sauté the vegetables in a dash of olive oil
Put potatoes in a greased or lined large slow cooker and add broth, vegetables and cream soup
You can use any cream soup you like, cream of broccoli, celery, mushroom, onion, chicken or cream of chicken & mushroom which is what I had in my pantry
Set the cooker to low and let the soup cook for 6 hours
About 1 hour before serving, stir in cubed cream cheese and cheddar, recover and let the cheese melt into the soup
Stir again before serving and garnish with lots of bacon, tater tots, green onions, and grated cheddar
Winter Warmth Chowder with Potato Croutons
20 oz frozen shredded hash browns
16 oz corn
2 cups mirepoix {equal parts chopped carrot, celery, onion}
4 cups, 32 oz. chicken broth
1/2 lb bacon strips {I used thick slices Applewood Smoked bacon}
1 can Cream Of Chicken & Mushroom Soup, or cream soup of choice
salt & pepper
8 oz cream cheese, cubed {low fat is fine, but don’t use fat free, it won’t melt}
4 oz cheddar cheese, cubed
chopped green onions, optional garnish
grated cheddar, optional garnish
cooked tater tots, optional garnish
Cook bacon until crisp. Drain on paper towels. Pour off grease from pan, reserving 1-2 T. Saute mirepoix in reserved bacon fat until softened, covering pan with a lid for a few minutes to steam the vegetables.
Place potatoes in greased or lined slow cooker. Add broth and vegetables. Season with salt & pepper. Stir in cream soup. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours. Add cream cheese and cheddar cubes. Stir. Replace cover and cook for 1 more hour. Stir again before serving
Just before serving cook tater tots according to package directions, and reheat bacon for a few seconds in microwave. Garnish soup with bacon, green onions, grated cheddar and tater tots
Who wouldn’t want this gift from your kitchen?
for another printable version of Winter Warmth Chowder click here
🌽 🍜 🌽 🍜 🌽 🍜
I will be joining these fabulous parties and blogs:
Celebrate and Decorate, Rustic and Refined,
Between Naps on the Porch, Coastal Charm, Cooking and Crafting with J&J, The Scoop, A Stroll Thru Life
Tickle My Tastebuds, Full Plate Thursday, Your Inspired Design
Your chowder sounds delicious Jenna! Love the giant potato croutons/tater tots as garnish! I miss having a Trader Joe’s close by 🙂
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Lovin’ the tator tot garnish! Potato Soup just might be on the menu this Sunday:@)
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Jenna, with the prediction of snow and wintry weather tomorrow, your chowder would be perfect. The grands are just too cute!!
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What a wonderful gift and warm comforting soup. 👍❤
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Okay, that looks like a winner to me, Jenna! Thank you! Pinning and printing.
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Yum! Jenna, we love potato soup here so this loaded version would be a winner here! Lucky daughter to have gifts from your kitchen. Bookmarking this recipe………
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Thanks Emily! I am NOT liking the weather forecast right now! Stay warm!
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I forgot to mention the cutie pies, adorable.
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Great ideas! These looks really good. And wintry, too!
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Thanks Jeanie!
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Sharing with a family member…what a great idea! This sounds amazing.
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Thanks Stacey, they were thrilled 🙂 >
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This would be my first chowder to try, but your recipe sounds so delicious, I want to try it. Thanks!
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It’s very easy Cecilia, I hope you enjoy it as much as we did! >
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This looks perfect for our impending “winter storm”😀 I think I will do something similar for tomorrow! (I don’t have some of the ingredients, but I can wing it). Stay warm!
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Let’s hope the weather men are being safe rather than sorry, the city is shut down already! Fingers crossed no one looses power or has problems!
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This sounds delicious! I have a potato soup I haven’t made in too long. I never thought of using tater tots for a garnish- neat idea!
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Thanks Liz, tater tots make yummy croutons! >
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Hello Jenna, wow this soup looks and sounds so good.
Thanks for sharing at C&C with J&J.
Happy New Year.
Hugs, Julie
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This sounds amazing! PINNED!
I would love for you to share this with my Facebook Group for recipes, crafts, tips, and tricks: https://www.facebook.com/groups/pluckyrecipescraftstips/
Thanks for joining Cooking and Crafting with J & J!
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Looks like pure comfort in a soup crock!
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