admin
This slow cooker corn chowder is the warm, creamy bowl of soup you want on a cold winter day here in the Midwest. My neighbor brought a pot of this over after a big snowstorm one time, and once I found out how easy it was to make, I asked her right away for the recipe.
You only need four simple ingredients to make this in the slow cooker. By the time dinner rolls around, you’ll have a soft, pale yellow chowder full of sweet corn and soft chunks of potato. It’s an easy meal you can start in the morning before a busy day, then come home to a warm dinner when everyone’s cold and hungry.
Ladle this chowder into warm bowls and top it with fresh black pepper. If you’d like, add a little shredded cheese or crumbled bacon on top for anyone who wants extra flavor. It goes really well with a simple salad, a pan of cornbread, or buttered toast and crackers for dipping. When I make this for kids, I like to put out small toppings like extra corn, cheese, or crushed crackers so they can decorate their own bowls — it makes them more excited to eat dinner.
Servings: 6
Ingredients
- 4 cups peeled and diced russet potatoes (about 3 medium potatoes, cut into ½-inch cubes)
- 3 cups frozen corn (or canned corn, drained)
- 4 cups chicken broth or vegetable broth
- 2 cups of heavy cream (you can use half-and-half if you want a lighter option)
- Freshly ground black pepper, for serving (optional garnish)
Slow Cooker Corn Chowder: Directions
- Layer the potatoes. Place the diced potatoes in the bottom of a 4- to 6-quart slow cooker. Spread the corn out in one flat layer. This helps every piece cook at the same speed, so nothing turns out too soft or too hard.
- Add the corn and broth. Pour the corn over the potatoes, then add the chicken or vegetable broth on top. Stir everything gently so it mixes together, making sure most of the potatoes are covered by the liquid.
- Cook until soft. Put the lid on the slow cooker. Let it cook on LOW for 6 to 7 hours, or if you’re short on time, on HIGH for 3 to 4 hours instead. The chowder is ready for the next step once the potatoes are soft enough to poke through easily with a fork.
- Mash a little. Once the potatoes are tender, take a potato masher or the back of a large spoon and gently mash some of the potatoes and corn right inside the slow cooker. Don’t mash everything — just enough to thicken the soup while leaving plenty of chunky bites of potato and corn.
- Stir in the cream. Pour in the heavy cream and stir it through the chowder. Put the lid back on and cook on LOW for another 20 to 30 minutes, just until everything is warmed through and the chowder feels a bit thicker. Try not to let it boil, since boiling can cause the cream to separate and turn grainy.
- Check the flavor. Taste the chowder and see if it needs more seasoning. Most broths already have enough salt built in, so I usually just wait and add black pepper once it’s in the bowl.
- Serve it warm. Scoop the hot, creamy corn chowder into bowls using a ladle. Sprinkle fresh black pepper on top and serve it right away, straight from the slow cooker.
