[Recipe] Corn & Bacon Chowder

Yum

Although I love shopping at our local market, I don't always have the time. Stocking up on the basics at my local wholesale store can make home cooking a reality more often at my house. However, it is not always obvious about what to do with large quantities of pantry essentials- that is where Wholesale Wholesome comes in. The recipes developed under this title use easy to find foods at your local wholesale store that can be whipped up quickly and provide a nutritious meal for the whole family.




Corn & Bacon Chowder
Makes 6 large servings.

1/2 large or 1 small yellow onion, sliced
1 tbsp oil
Pinch of salt and pepper
1 tbsp fennel seeds
1 cup white wine
3 cups kernel corn
3 tbsp flour
2 1/2 cups 1% milk (or any % you prefer)
2 cubes of chicken (or your preferred flavor) stock, crumbled (or liquid stock)
3 strips of bacon, cooked

1. Heat the oil in a medium pan and add the onions, salt, pepper and fennel. Saute until opaque (about 7 minutes) or until brown if you have more time (about 15min).
2. Deglaze with white wine (that means adding the white wine to the hot pan and scraping the bottom of the pan to unstick all the yummy brown bits).
3. Sprinkle the flour over the mixture then add the corn, milk, stock and water.
4. Bring to a boil and simmer until thickened, about 10 min. If you prefer a more smooth consistency, use a submersion blender to blend the larger bits. If you'd like a semi-smooth version, try blending only half the soup in a separate bowl then add the blended mixture back into the pot with the unblended half.
5. Chop the bacon into bits and sprinkle on top of each bowl before serving.