One of my favorite soups for cold winter days is chicken corn chowder. Progresso brand chicken corn chowder is my favorite. Chicken corn chowder is creamy and hearty, while the corn adds a pop of freshness and sweetness to keep it from feeling too heavy.
I’ve wanted to try a homemade version for a while now, so recently I looked up a couple of recipes for it. Many recipes looked delicious, but had long ingredient lists and directions. Also, many recipes call for bacon, which would add a tasty blast of flavor, but would also take more time to cook.
Finally, I found this more simplified version, which I simplified even more. Although it does taste different than my inspiration soup, it still has the creamy, hearty and fresh similarities that make it worth it.
I like that this recipe includes the extra veggies, carrots and celery, and also the fresh parsley. They add a healthier note to a rather rich soup.
The cayenne pepper adds a little kick, but be careful not to overdo it. The first time I made this soup, which was also the first time I cooked with cayenne pepper, I unthinkingly added about ¼ teaspoon of cayenne pepper to it. The flavor was not really affected at first, but after a few spoonfuls, my throat burned.
I used some leftover broasted chicken in this recipe, but any kind of cooked chicken will work fine.
Heavy cream provides the creaminess in this recipe. You could also use heavy whipping cream or half-and-half.
After Christmas, I had quite a few leftover candied cherries. The container they came in also included several recipes. As I had no idea what to do with the cherries, I decided to try out one of the recipes.
These cookies turned out quite well. I used both red and green cherries, and since there are white chocolate chips in these cookies as well, they have Christmas colors.
Candied cherries are very sticky, so although it was not in the original recipe, I mixed the cherries with the flour before adding to the butter mixture. This helps ensure that the cherries would mix thoroughly into the cookie dough and not stick in one big clump. Baking times will vary, based on the size of the cookie.
Francesca Ullmer, the second child of a large homeschooled family, is from the Krakow area. She enjoys baking, reading, knitting, raising goats and entering numerous items in the Oconto County Fair.
CHICKEN CORN CHOWDER
1 tbsp. butter
1 rib celery, diced
1 medium carrot, diced
1/4 to 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/16 to 1/8 tsp. ground cayenne pepper, optional
1/8 cup flour
2 cups chicken broth
2 medium potatoes, chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
1 cup corn kernels, fresh or frozen
1 1/4 cups cooked chicken, chopped into bite-sized pieces
1/3 cup heavy cream
2 tsp. chopped fresh parsley
Melt the butter in a pot over medium/low heat. Add the celery and carrots. Cook until soft, 7-10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to low and add the garlic powder, oregano and cayenne pepper. Cook for 1 minute while stirring. Sprinkle in the flour and cook and stir for 2 more minutes. Slowly pour in the chicken broth, stirring constantly. Cook over medium/low heat until slightly thickened. Bring to a low boil and add the potatoes. Cook about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until potatoes start to soften. Add the corn and gently boil until potatoes and corn are tender, about 3 minutes. Reduce heat to low and stir in the chicken. Let warm for 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat and slowly stir in the cream. Add the fresh parsley. Add salt and pepper to taste, if desired.
CHERRY ALMOND WHITE CHOCOLATE COOKIES
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup white sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 1/4 tsp. vanilla
1 3/4 to 2 cups flour
1/3 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
8 oz. candied cherries, green and/or red, chopped
1 cup white chocolate chips
1/2 cup slivered almonds
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Chop cherries; set aside. Mix the butter, sugars, egg, vanilla, salt, baking powder and baking soda in a bowl until smooth. Mix the cherries with the flour; add to the butter mixture with the white chocolate chips and almonds. Mix until combined. Shape into balls; place on greased cookie sheets. Bake for 6-10 minutes, or until bottoms are browned.
