Chile Chicken Corn Chowder

I do believe I must be certifiable and please no comments from the peanut gallery. It was 99 degrees here in hell yesterday and what did we have for dinner? Yup that's right - hot soup, but not just any old soup. This particular chowder gives "heat" a whole new meaning. I do believe it's darn near perfect for those of you suffering another early spring blizzard or enduring yet another rainy day. I guarantee it'll put a smile on your face.

Inspired by a recipe from "Jackson Hole Cooks" it's loaded with onion, garlic, chicken chunks and green chile. Spiced up with a can of Rotel Tomatoes with habanero, it had so much extra "heat" I had to cool it off with a cup of cream. OK - so that's just an excuse. It's no secret I love the stuff. The thing that makes this chowder different is that the corn is pureed along with some chicken stock and used to thicken the whole pot of creamy goodness. I have to say it is amazing.

The Big Guy even said so and that's after he darn near ate a full meal of hors d'oeuvres courtesy of a meeting at the Westin La Paloma...the scuzz bucket. LOL

Chile Chicken Corn Chowder (inspired by Jackson Hole Cooks)

2 tablespoons butter or vegetable oil

1 large onion, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic minced

1 pound chicken tenders, cut into bite sized pieces

2 tablespoons instant blending flour (Wondra)

Salt and pepper

1 teaspoon oregano

1-1/2 teaspoons chile powder

1 large Idaho potato, peeled and cut into quarter inch dice

1-1/2 cups chicken stock plus 1 cup

2 cups frozen corn kernels, thawed

1 can ROTEL tomatoes with habanero peppers

1 – 6 ounce can green chiles

1 cup cream

Grated cheddar cheese as garnish

Heat butter in a large pot until melted. Add onion and garlic and sauté until onion is softened – about 5 minutes. Season chicken pieces with salt and pepper, then coat in flour. Move sautéed onion to one side of pot and add chicken pieces. Sauté until golden browned. Add oregano, chile powder, potato and 1-1/2 cups chicken stock. Bring to a boil, cover pot and simmer stirring occasionally for 10 minutes, or until potatoes are cooked. Meanwhile using an immersion blender or food processor puree corn with one cup of chicken stock. Add to pot when potatoes are cooked along with ROTEL, green chiles and cream. Bring to a simmer and cook for additional 10 minutes to blend flavors. Do no let the pot boil and stir occasionally to prevent sticking. Serve garnished with grated cheese. Makes 8 servings. Download Chile Chicken Corn Chowder

Comments

[Mary from Apron Strings & Wedding Rings]

Looks wonderful. I too especially like the cream!

[June]

Thanks Mary. What butter is to Paul Deen, cream is to JBug. LOL

[Big Guy]

And as I found out today at lunch it gets hotter with time. Yummmm!

[June]

Me too! Wowza - I mean, I found out the soup get's hotter with time. Moi - too many sleepless nights equals 1 old broad. LOL

[Nanan]

William would love that minus the Rotel - and any picanteness - silly Colombian - but I can always add my cayenne!!!
Picante stuff actually cools you off and the capsaian kills off a good amount of bacteria in spoiled food. Which is why the closer to the Equator and where the weather is warmer, the more picante the food tends to be. Whenever I was in the Army and I would Deploy to 3rd World Countries in tropical climates, I would find out what the local "hot pepper" was. I would eat it with every meal - except breakfast. I would also advise my fellow soldiers - usually all men. They would usually not initially listen to me, shame really. I never had intestinal issues - they ALWAYS DID - and we consumed the same things! Then they would start with the hot peppers! HA! By the way, in Haiti they are called "Pickles", in Rwanda: "Pili Pili"!

[June]

Lea - funny but the Rotel really made this one, especially with the habanero's which kind of makes it a strike out for both of you...William cause he "no likey hot" and you with your tomato allergy. Interesting information about the peppers which for sure would help one not notice when meat was spoiling. Darned men - serves 'em right for not listening to you!

[Marisa]

What is he amount of calories in this per cup and how many does it yield? I ask about calories bc this came up when I searched fat free meals. :/

[June]

Hi Marisa - Sorry, I can't help you regarding the calorie content except to say it would be fairly substantial considering the ingredients. I can say positively that I've no idea why it came up in a search for "fat free" since it contains butter and cream never mind the cheese garnish. There's not much fat free cookin' in this kitchen. Just sayin' :-)