Corn Chowder & Garlic Cheddar Biscuits

Day 84

Comfort food! Hot chowder on a cold winter night...mmmm.

We used to make this with bacon, and this was the first time we've made meatless corn chowder. I wasn't sure it would be as good, to be honest, but then Laura reminded me that she was making it and I knew it would be as fantastic as always.

Corn Chowder & Garlic Cheddar Biscuits

Corn Chowder

1 can cream corn
1 can corn kernels
5 medium potatoes, diced
1/2 large onion, diced
2/3 cup coffee cream
1 box vegetable broth
1/3 cup flour
1/3 cup butter
1 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp marjoram
1/2 tsp red chili flakes
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper

Prepare the Potatoes

Wash, dice and boil the potatoes in a sauce pan. We cook them separately for two reasons:

1. To avoid overcooking.
2. To rinse the starch off them before adding them to an already-starchy soup.

Diced potatoes about to boil

Make a Roux

In a soup pot or large skillet, sauté the diced onions in the butter until soft, and stir in thyme, marjoram, chili flakes and sea salt. Sauté for about another minute. Add the flour, stir it in.

Roux

Finish Your Chowder

Pour in the vegetable broth. Stir until the broth, flour and butter are well incorporated. Add the corn and cream corn and bring to a simmer. Drain and rinse the potatoes and add to the chowder, then simmer a few minutes longer. Add a splash of water just to cool it down and finally add the coffee cream. Do not allow it to come to a boil again after adding the cream. Also, when you reheat this, be very careful not to bring it to a rolling boil. Just heat it enough to make it hot and barely simmering. Season accordingly with salt and pepper.

Corn Chowder

If you think it couldn't possibly be as good without bacon, try this recipe and be amazed. Words can't describe the extent of the deliciousness. Or, just trust me on it.

Garlic Cheddar Biscuits

Based on this recipe
2 cups flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp white sugar
1/3 cup shortening
1 cup almond milk
1/2 cup shredded cheddar
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp butter

Whisk dry ingredients - flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Cut in the shortening. Here's where we deviated from the original recipe: add the cheddar to the dry ingredients before adding the milk. Add the milk gradually until dough is formed.

Knead the dough 15 - 20 times and roll on a floured surface until 1" thick. Cut with biscuit cutter and place biscuits on a baking tray. Here is the 2nd change we made to the original recipe (and by "we" I mean Laura): melt 2 tablespoons of butter with the minced garlic and brush over the biscuits before baking.

Unbaked Garlic Cheddar Biscuits

Bake for 12 minutes in 425 degrees oven, until brown.

Garlic Cheddar Biscuits

These turned out light and flaky and fluffy and were served warm, fresh from the oven. Perfect pairing for the corn chowder.

Corn Chowder & Garlic Cheddar Biscuits

This was the sad part:

Last bite

Reviews/Comments

Hands down, the best thing I ate all week. This was sooo effing good, I was tempted to go back for more but my distended tummy wouldn't allow it. Really looking forward to lunch tomorrow though!

I give it a 10. Laura agrees; 10.