hearty bacon, cheese, & potato chowder

How To Make hearty bacon, cheese, & potato chowder

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  1

  Gather and prep your ingredients.
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  2

  In a sauté pan, over medium heat, cook the bacon until crispy.
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  3

  Remove from pan, and drain on paper towels.
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  4

  Crumble and reserve.
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  5

  Chef’s Note: Don’t clean out the pan; we’ll be using it again in a few minutes.
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  6

  Finely chop the onion, mince the garlic, and grate and chop the carrot, and the celery.
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  7

  Dice the red bell pepper.
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  8

  Peel the potatoes or wash and leave the skins on (I prefer the skins on), and then cut into cubes.
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  9

  Take a pot of water with a pinch of salt, bring to the boil and then add the cubed potatoes.
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  10

  Boil until tender, about 8 to 10 minutes, do not overcook.
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  11

  Chef’s Tip: Take a pairing knife and insert into the potato. If it goes in with a slight resistance… they’re done.
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  12

  Remove the potatoes from the water, and reserve.
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  13

  Heat up the sauté pan that you cooked the bacon in over medium heat, and add the onions, garlic, celery, carrots, and peppers.
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  14

  Sauté the veggies in the bacon grease until tender, but not browned, about 6 to 8 minutes.
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  15

  Chef's Note: As the veggies begin to release their moisture, use a wooden spoon to scrape up and dissolve all those brown bits (fonds) left by the bacon... that's pure flavor.
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  16

  Chef’s Note: If you prefer, you could wipe out the pan, and add a bit of olive oil; instead of the bacon grease.
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  17

  Add the chicken stock to the pan, and bring up to a simmer.
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  18

  Add the cooked potatoes, and the bacon to the sauté pan, and continue to lightly simmer.
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  19

  Using a small saucepan, over medium-low heat, melt the butter.
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  20

  When the foaming subsides, add the flour and whisk for a minute or two.
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  21

  Add the ground thyme, and continue to whisk for about 30 seconds.
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  22

  Add the milk, and continue to whisk until the mixture thickens.
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  23

  Chef’s Note: As the mixture is beginning to thicken, add a bit of salt, and pepper, to taste.
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  24

  Add the milk mixture to the sauté pan.
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  25

  Stir to combine.
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  26

  Chef's Tip: As you stir the mixture, continue to season the dish with additional salt and pepper, until you're happy with the results.
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  27

  Add the pepper jack and cheddar cheese to the pan.
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  28

  Stir until the cheese melted and completely combined.
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  29

  Serve while still warm with some crackers, and maybe a splash of sherry. Enjoy
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  30

  Keep the faith, and keep cooking.
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