As much as some of us are absolutely done with Winter and are longing for Spring…we still have a ways to go. With that being said, make the best of the cold weather with this delicious, thick, satisfying chowder. Just imagine yourself curled up on the couch with a steaming mug of hot chocolate & a lip-licking-good, hot bowl of soup & [insertyourpreferredNetflixserieshere] on in the background. There wouldn’t be much of a better way to spend a cold Saturday afternoon. And the best part? There’s not a whole lot to it…just prep the ingredients, toss them in your crock pot, leave it for a few hours, & you’re good to go!
Prep Time: 20-30 min; Cook Time: 4-8 hrs (depending on slow cooker setting)
Serves: 9-12
What you’ll need:
Potato peeler
Compost container
Sharp knife
Cutting board
Bowl
Large fork or potato masher
6-8 Qt slow cooker (or larger)
Measuring spoons/cups
Ingredients:
7-8 medium red potatoes, peeled & diced
2-3 cups of ham, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
1 can sweet corn
2 med-large carrots, diced
1 medium onion, diced
1 can great northern beans, rinsed
1 can great northern beans, smashed
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp garlic powder
6 cups chicken broth
2 tsp ground thyme
1/3 cup of milk (2%, whole, or heavy whipping cream work)
6 tbs ham stock
1 tsp dried, ground oregano
Salt & pepper to taste
Instructions:
1. Place the potatoes, ham, celery, corn, carrots, onions, & 1st can of great northern beans in the crock pot.
a. IMPORTANT: Remember to carefully rinse your produce & even the beans in the can. You don’t want to pass along any germies to yourself or those you’re serving.
b. Also, make sure to put any produce remnants aside to put in your compost.
2. With the 2nd can of beans, drain & rinse the beans, place them in a bowl, & smash the beans with a large fork or a potato masher. Once done, place in the crock pot with the other ingredients. This will help thicken the chowder & add some extra protein. 🙂
3. Pour in 6 cups of chicken broth. I use 12 tsp dry bullion mix (Orrington Farms Chicken Broth Base & Seasoning) & 6 cups of water for mine. Stir everything together.
4. Next, add the garlic, thyme, oregano, salt, pepper, milk/heavy whipping cream, & ham stock & stir ingredients together.
5. Last, slowly pour & stir in the flour. I poured small amounts & stirred in to prevent the flour from getting chunky in the soup.
6. Then, set your crockpot to cook. You can set it to high & it should be ready in about 5 hrs, or set it on low & let it cook all night. Once it’s done, serve or separate into containers. This makes a delicious take-to-work lunch!
I hope you enjoy it…let me know what you think or if you make any changes!
Be blessed, friends!