The Instant Pot makes quick work of potatoes in this bacon corn chowder. The perfect fast food for busy, chilly days.
We love a hearty chowder. They are super easy and basic, generally with a base of potatoes and adding either cream or tomato as your liquid. We love potato-based dishes as they are both easy to grow and easy to store all winter long! Then they stick to your ribs when you use 'em.
The Instant Pot makes quick work of this soup, and we also love using it to make No-Drain Mashed Potatoes. Potatoes reaching the end of their life? They still work great in Ham and Cheese Twice Baked Potatoes. Got vegetarians you want to cook for, then I recommend Pumpkin Soup with Beans.
Key Ingredients
Potatoes - Any variety will do, though golden and russet hold up nicely.
Milk - Definitely use whole milk here, and you can even use up things like bits of whipping cream or half and half you have languishing in the fridge, and top up with milk. But you do want enough fat!
Cheese - Cheddar is the most classic taste here.
Flour - Easy to use to thicken, and you can use a 1-for-1 gluten-free option if needed.
Broth - Chicken works well but you can also use veggie.
How to Make Potato Corn Chowder
***See recipe card below for precise measurements and instructions.***
Step 1: Add veggies to the Instant Pot and cook.
Step 2: Melt butter on the stove and stir in flour to cook.
Step 3: Whisk in milk to thicken.
Step 4: Remove from the heat and stir in cheese.
Step 5: Release pressure and check doneness.
Step 6: Stir in milk mixture and bacon, ready to serve!
FAQs
Absolutely! We love the smoky taste of bacon in this chowder, but it's not essential. By omitting the bacon and using vegetable broth this is an easy vegetarian meal that everyone will enjoy! You can still serve bacon on the side for those that want to use it, or even turkey bacon if you don't eat red meat.
It's not necessary, but I think boiling the veggies on the stove takes a fair bit longer, and also needs a bit of babysitting to make sure nothing sticks to the bottom of the pot and the broth doesn't evaporate too much. You'd still be using two pots to make the veggies and the roux, so I'd rather be hands-off with the Instant Pot for part of it. Plus it's a nice big pot for the final ingredient combination.
Most of the time my answer is "why waste time?" However, not everyone loves the bits of peel that come off the potato and end up in the soup. And it really does look lovely to have clean, white potatoes in the milk. The potatoes and onion basically disappear. But if your family enjoys the peels, definitely just scrub and chop!
Photos by Megan Hampton
More Soup Recipes
Hey friends, don't forget to follow me over on Instagram, cause if you like me here, I post there a LOT! I'm also on YouTube with tutorials and Facebook for all sorts of things.
If you like this recipe, I’d love if you reviewed it so others can find it easier. Sharing this recipe on Facebook or Pinterest is another way you can help us out at no cost to you. Thanks, xo Kate
Bacon Corn Chowder
Ingredients
- 4 cups peeled and diced potato
- 4 cups sweet corn frozen is fine
- 1 ½ cups diced celery 4-5 stalks
- 1 large onion diced
- 4 cups chicken broth or vegetable broth
- 2 teaspoons salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 4 cups whole milk
- 5 tablespoons butter
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 4 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 10 slices bacon cooked and diced or crumbled
Instructions
- Cook potato, corn, celery, onion, broth, salt, and pepper in the Instant Pot on high for 6 minutes.
- While the Instant Pot comes to pressure, melt butter and flour together in a saucepan on medium heat. Slowly add in the milk and stir until the mixture is thickened. Turn off the heat and add the cheese, stirring to melt.
- Release the pressure from the Instant Pot. Stir in the milk mixture and bacon.
Notes
- Skip the bacon and use vegetable broth to make vegetarian.
- Use a gluten-free flour blend or rice flour for thickening to make this gluten-free.
- We like the look of peeled potatoes in this soup, but you don't need to peel if you're short on time.
Leave a Reply