Turkey Bacon and Corn Crock Pot Chowder

Loaded with veggies, turkey bacon, and great flavor!

 

It FINALLY feels a little like fall here in Southern California. The air has just a hint of crispness to it. It’s cool enough to switch off the AC and throw open some windows. And no one will look at you funny if you start burning those pumpkin spice candles.

What better way to celebrate the changing of the seasons than to make a hearty, yummy, and—most important—healthy corn chowder. Even better? I’ve made it a Crock Pot recipe so it’s SUPER simple. Even better than that? I used turkey bacon. And, as everyone knows, everything is better with bacon in any form.

The original recipe made my mouth water when I read it so I took that as a good sign.  But even though it sounded delicious, I couldn’t resist the urge to mess with it a little and figure out a way to make it slow cooker-friendly. (The original recipe was made on the stove top.) Here’s what I came up with.

Turkey Bacon and Corn Crock Pot Chowder
Serves 8

Ingredients:
3 cups chicken stock or broth (I used the organic stock from Costco)
3 cups reduced-fat milk (I used the lactose-free Albertson’s brand)
2  cups corn (I used frozen but you can use fresh or canned)
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1-1 ½ cups red bell pepper, chopped
1 cup celery, chopped
1 cup onion, chopped (I used red but any color will do)
3 small potatoes, chopped (I used organic gold potatoes from Trader Joes)
7 slices reduced-sodium turkey bacon, chopped into thin strips
Freshly ground black pepper, optional (to taste)
Dash salt, optional (to taste)
Hot sauce, optional (to taste, I used Tapatio)

Directions:
Place all ingredients in Crock Pot and cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 3-5 hours. (The longer you let this one simmer, the better.)

Results:
Oh. Muh. Gawd. The house smelled sooooooooo good when this was cooking, you wouldn’t even believe it. Think loaded baked potato.  And the aromas started wafting through the kitchen after only 45 minutes or so. Needless to say, it was hours upon hours of olfactory torture waiting for the soup to be ready.

As is, the soup is really good. For my first bowl, I decided to add more freshly ground pepper and a dash of salt to boost the flavor a little. And it was great. For my second helping, I went for spicy and added a liberal amount of Tapatio hot sauce. I’ve got to say, this was my favorite way to eat it. The spice was a nice complement t to the sweetness of the corn, and I like my food with a little bit of heat so this was perfect for me. The hubs was a big fan of adding the hot sauce as well.

Now, even though this is a chowder, the broth is a bit on the thin side. If you want to thicken it, you’ll need to add a little cornstarch or flour. (Just whisk either into cold water and add the mixture slowly to the soup until you’ve reached the desired consistency.)

If you’re looking for a healthy and hearty soup to warm you up on a brisk Fall day, this is the perfect recipe for you. Give it a try and let me know what you think.

Until next time,
Ryann