Ina's Cheddar Corn Chowder

Let's all join together to sing the praises of bacon, cheddar, corn, potatoes and cream coming together to create an amazing soup. You cannot really go wrong with these ingredients. A few warnings on this recipe; it is big, very, very big. You will definitely have to use a stockpot which, of course, I missed when I was reading the directions. You can also cut the recipe in half which might be a good idea unless you are feeding the Bears defensive line. The other note here is that sour cream with chives is awesome on top of this and I highly recommend putting a big dollop of that on the hot soup just prior to serving. Enjoy!

Recipe from "The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook" by Ina Garten.

Recipe:

8 ounces bacon, chopped
1/4 cup good olive oil
6 cups chopped yellow onions (4 large onions)
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1/2 cup flour
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
12 cups chicken stock
6 cups medium-diced white boiling potatoes, unpeeled (2 pounds)
10 cups corn kernels, fresh (10 ears) or frozen (3 pounds)
2 cups half-and-half
8 ounces sharp white cheddar cheese, grated

In a large stockpot over medium-high heat, cook the bacon and olive oil until the bacon is crisp, about 5 minutes. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and reserve. Reduce the heat to medium, add the onions and butter to the fat, and cook for 10 minutes, until the onions are translucent.

Stir in the flour, salt, pepper, and turmeric and cook for 3 minutes. Add the chicken stock and potatoes, bring to a boil, and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes, until the potatoes are tender. If using fresh corn, cut the kernels off the cob and blanch them for 3 minutes in boiling salted water. Drain. (If using frozen corn you can skip this step.) Add the corn to the soup, then add the half-and-half and cheddar. Cook for 5 more minutes, until the cheese is melted. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper. Serve hot with a garnish of bacon and sour cream.