Slow Cooker Corn Chowder

Name: Slow Cooker Corn Chowder
Prep time: 41 min
Cook time: 6 h 20 min
Total time: 7 h 1 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 6 slices (170 g) thick-cut bacon, cut crosswise into ½-inch (1.25 cm) pieces; 1 large (250 g) yellow onion, peeled and cut into ¼-inch (6 mm) dice; 2 medium (100 g) celery ribs, cut into ¼-inch (6 mm) dice; 3 cloves (10 g) garlic, minced; 3 tablespoons (24 g) all-purpose flour; 4 cups (960 ml) low-sodium chicken broth, at room temperature or cold; 1½ pounds (680 g) Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into ½-inch (1.25 cm) cubes; 20 ounces (567 g) frozen sweet corn kernels, no need to thaw; 1 teaspoon (2½ g) smoked paprika; 1 teaspoon (1 g) dried thyme; 1 whole (1 g) bay leaf; ½ teaspoon (1 g) black pepper, freshly ground; 1½ cups (360 ml) half-and-half, cold from the fridge is fine; kosher salt, to taste, about ¾ teaspoon (3 g) to start; 2 tablespoons (6 g) fresh chives, thinly sliced (optional)

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

A thick, creamy chowder with sweet corn, tender Yukon Gold potatoes and smoky bacon. The slow cooker does the work, and half-and-half stirred in at the end keeps it silky without curdling.

Prep: 41 min
Cook: 6 hr 20 min
Wait: 5 min
Total: 7 hr 6 min
Makes: About 9 cups (6 generous servings)

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Ingredients

6 servings

6 slices (170 g) thick-cut bacon, cut crosswise into ½-inch (1.25 cm) pieces
1 large (250 g) yellow onion, peeled and cut into ¼-inch (6 mm) dice
2 medium (100 g) celery ribs, cut into ¼-inch (6 mm) dice
3 cloves (10 g) garlic, minced
3 tablespoons (24 g) all-purpose flour
4 cups (960 ml) low-sodium chicken broth, at room temperature or cold
1½ pounds (680 g) Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into ½-inch (1.25 cm) cubes
20 ounces (567 g) frozen sweet corn kernels, no need to thaw
1 teaspoon (2.5 g) smoked paprika
1 teaspoon (1 g) dried thyme
1 whole (1 g) bay leaf
½ teaspoon (1 g) black pepper, freshly ground
1½ cups (360 ml) half-and-half, cold from the fridge is fine
kosher salt, to taste, about ¾ teaspoon (3 g) to start
2 tablespoons (6 g) fresh chives, thinly sliced (optional)

Equipment (5)

5- to 6-quart (4.7–5.7 L) slow cooker
12-inch (30 cm) skillet
Slotted spoon
Potato masher or immersion blender
Chef's knife and cutting board

Steps

Before you start

Use a 5- to 6-quart (4.7–5.7 L) slow cooker. A smaller one may overflow once the half-and-half goes in.
Timing: the times listed (about 7 hours total) are for the LOW setting: 41 minutes active, 6 hours slow cooking, 20 minutes with the dairy and a 5-minute rest. On HIGH, slow cooking takes 3½ hours, so the total is about 4½ hours (roughly 4 hours 40 minutes with the rest). Choose one before you start.
Frozen corn can go in straight from the freezer. Don't thaw it.
Dice the potatoes into even ½-inch (1.25 cm) cubes so they cook at the same rate.

1
Prep the vegetables
- Peel the potatoes and cut them into ½-inch (1.25 cm) cubes.
- Dice the onion and celery into ¼-inch (6 mm) pieces and mince the garlic.
- Cut the bacon into ½-inch (1.25 cm) pieces.
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Ready when: Potato cubes are roughly the same size.
Tip: Cut potatoes brown as they sit. If you prep more than 15 minutes ahead, hold them in a bowl of cold water (up to 1 hour) and drain well before adding to the slow cooker. Otherwise just set them aside.
2
Crisp the bacon
- Put the bacon in a cold 12-inch (30 cm) skillet and set it over medium heat.
- Cook, stirring occasionally, for 7 to 8 minutes.
- Lift the bacon out with a slotted spoon onto a paper towel-lined plate.
- Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of the fat and leave it in the skillet.
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Ready when: Bacon is deep golden and crisp, and the pieces have shrunk.
Tip: Starting in a cold pan renders more fat and keeps the bacon from burning.
3
Soften the aromatics
- Return the skillet to medium heat.
- Add the onion and celery and cook, stirring often, for 5 minutes.
- Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
- Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and stir constantly for 1 minute to cook out the raw taste.
- Pour in 1 cup (240 ml) of the broth and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
- Stir until the mixture thickens slightly, about 1 minute.
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Ready when: Onion is soft and translucent, and the flour leaves no dry streaks. The liquid looks like a thin gravy.
Tip: Add the garlic last so it doesn't scorch and turn bitter.
4
Load the slow cooker
- Scrape the skillet mixture into the slow cooker.
- Add the drained potatoes, frozen corn, the remaining 3 cups (720 ml) of broth, the smoked paprika, thyme, pepper and bay leaf.
- Stir well.
- Once the bacon has cooled, move it to a covered container and refrigerate until serving.
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Ready when: The potatoes and corn are mostly covered by liquid.
Tip: Hold the salt until the end. Bacon and broth both add salt, and the soup reduces slightly.
5
Slow cook the chowder
- Cover and cook on LOW for 6 hours (up to 7 hours is fine), or on HIGH for 3½ hours (up to 4).
- Keep the lid on as much as you can, because each peek adds about 15 minutes to the cooking time.
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Ready when: A potato cube crushes easily against the side of the pot when pressed with a spoon.
Tip: If the potatoes are still firm at the end of the time, cover and cook 20 to 30 minutes longer.
6
Thicken the base
- Remove and discard the bay leaf.
- Mash directly in the pot with a potato masher, pressing 8 to 10 times, to break up about a third of the potatoes and corn.
- Or pulse an immersion blender 4 to 5 times.
- Leave plenty of whole kernels and potato chunks.
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Ready when: The broth looks creamy and opaque and coats the back of a spoon, with plenty of chunks left.
Tip: Don't over-mash or the chowder turns gluey, as the potato starch gets gummy.
7
Add the half-and-half
- Stir in the half-and-half.
- Cover and cook on HIGH for 15 to 20 minutes, just until the chowder is steaming hot.
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Ready when: Steam rises from the surface and the edges are hot, with no visible bubbling.
Tip: Add the dairy at the end. Hours of heat can make it separate and look curdled.
8
Season and serve
- While the chowder finishes, re-crisp the refrigerated bacon in a dry skillet over medium heat for 1 to 2 minutes.
- Turn off the slow cooker and let the chowder rest, uncovered, for 5 minutes.
- Stir in salt, starting with ¾ teaspoon (3 g), and taste.
- Add more salt or pepper if needed.
- Ladle into bowls and top with the crisp bacon and chives.
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Ready when: The bacon sizzles and is crisp again. The chowder tastes sweet and savory, and the corn flavor stands out rather than tasting flat.
Tip: If it tastes flat, add salt a pinch at a time. A splash of lemon juice also brightens it.

Good to know

Tips

Mashing part of the potatoes and corn thickens the chowder without extra cream or cornstarch.
If the chowder is too thick, thin it with ¼ cup (60 ml) warm broth at a time. If too thin, mash a few more potatoes and cook on HIGH uncovered for 15 minutes.
Make it spicy by adding ½ teaspoon cayenne or a diced jalapeño with the onion.
For extra corn flavor when using fresh corn, add a few scraped cobs to the pot while it cooks and remove them before mashing.

Make ahead

"Make the chowder through step 6 (slow cooked and mashed, before the half-and-half) up to 2 days ahead. Cool within 2 hours, then refrigerate in a covered container. Keep the cooked bacon in its own covered container in the fridge. To serve, reheat the chowder on the stove over medium-low heat, stirring, until hot. Stir in the half-and-half and heat until steaming, without boiling. Re-crisp the bacon in a dry skillet over medium heat for 1 to 2 minutes, because refrigerated bacon turns soft.

Storage & reheating

Refrigerator: up to 4 days in an airtight container; store the bacon separately. Reheat on the stovetop over medium-low heat, stirring often, until steaming (do not boil), adding a splash of broth or milk if it has thickened. Freezer: potato-based dairy soups can turn grainy, so freeze only for up to 2 months and whisk or stir well while reheating. Room temperature: no more than 2 hours.

Substitutions

thick-cut bacon → 1 tablespoon olive oil or butter (to sauté) plus extra ½ teaspoon smoked paprika. Makes it vegetarian when paired with vegetable broth; the smoky flavor is lighter.
half-and-half → 1 cup (240 ml) whole milk plus ½ cup (120 ml) heavy cream. Gives the same richness. Whole milk alone makes a thinner chowder.
Yukon Gold potatoes → Red potatoes, same weight and size. They hold their shape well but produce a slightly less creamy base than Yukon Golds.
frozen sweet corn kernels → Fresh kernels cut from 4 to 5 large ears (about 3½ to 4 cups, 567 g). Use the same amount by weight. Fresh corn may cook in a bit less time.