LOADED CHEESY CHICKEN POTATO CHOWDER

The chowder is easy, ready in about a half hour, and the ultimate comfort food. The smaller you dice the vegetables, the faster it'll be ready. I recommend 1/4-inch dice. It's loaded with tender potatoes, juicy chicken, sweet Vidalia onions, carrots, celery, and corn which all add texture and flavor. Even with chowder I need texture and a variety of vegetables to keep me interested and this does the trick. It's thick, creamy, rich, and wonderfully cheesy. Grate your own cheese because pre-grated convenience bags of cheese are resistant to melting. We couldn't get enough of the chowder. The savory, cheesy broth is my ultimate weakness.

YIELD: about 10 cups PREP TIME: 10 minutes COOK TIME: about 30 minutes TOTAL TIME: about 40 minutes

INGREDIENTS:

• 3 to 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cups sweet Vidalia or yellow onions, peeled and diced small (about 1 medium/large onion)
• 1 cup carrots, peeled and diced small (about 2 large carrots)
• 1 cup celery, diced small (about 2 stalks)
• 4 garlic cloves, finely minced
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 32 ounces (4 cups) low-sodium chicken broth
• 3 cups milk, or as needed (I use Silk Unsweetened Cashewmilk)
• 3 cups Russet potatoes, peeled and diced into 1/4-inch cubes (about 3 large potatoes)
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
• 1 teaspoon pepper, or to taste
• pinch cayenne pepper, optional and to taste
• 2 cups cooked shredded rotisserie chicken (use storebought to save time)
• 3/4 cup corn (I used frozen and added it straight from the freezer)
• 8 ounces extra-sharp cheddar cheese (grate it yourself, pre-grated cheese in plastic bags is resistant to melting)
• 1/3 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, finely chopped

DIRECTIONS:

1-To a large Dutch oven or stockpot, add the oil and heat over medium-high heat to warm.

2-Add the onion, carrots, celery, and sauté for about 7 to 9 minutes, or until vegetables begin to soften. Stir intermittently.

3-Add the garlic and sauté for another 1 to 2 minutes.

4-Add the flour and whisk constantly until lightly browned, about 1 minute.

5-Add the chicken broth, milk, and whisk constantly until slightly thickened, about 1 to 2 minutes.

6-Add potatoes, thyme, oregano, salt, pepper, optional cayenne, and bring to a boil. Allow chowder to boil fairly rapidly for about 15 minutes or until potatoes are fork-tender; stir intermittently. At any time while the chowder is boiling, if the overall liquid level is lower than you like and the chowder is too thick, adding a cup of extra milk is okay. At the end you will adjust the seasoning levels.

7-After potatoes are soft, add the chicken, corn, and boil for 1 to 2 minutes to warm the chicken and corn through.

8-Reduce the heat to low, add the cheese slowly, and stir continuously until melted and combined.

9-Add the parsley and stir to combine.

10-Taste chowder and add salt to taste. I added another teaspoon but this will vary based on how salty the brand of chicken broth used is, how salty the rotisserie chicken and cheese are, and personal preference. Make any necessary seasoning adjustments (i.e. more salt, pepper, herbs, etc.) and serve immediately. Chowder will keep airtight in the fridge for 5 to 7 days; reheat very gently prior to serving so it doesn't 'break'. I haven't tried freezing the chowder.

Recipe from Averie Cooks.
by:averiecooks.com