Potato Chowder

I had my husband go through my massive text book from school and pick out recipes of things he wants to try. Tonight I made the first thing on his list: Potato Chowder.

Chowders are chunky soups. They are most often cream soups that don't get puréed. The good part about this chowder is it can be adapted to your tastes. My husband gave it a 9 out of 10. (He took a point away because there was a lot of celery in it. Celery isn't his favorite vegetable. I like celery and thought it was delightful. Agree to disagree.) My tip for the day is to season every layer of food. Each step should taste good on its own.

Potato Chowder

8 oz ground pork
2 oz olive oil
1 medium onion, medium dice
3 celery stalks, medium dice
2 oz flour
5 cups of chicken stock
1 lb potatoes, medium dice
1/3 c heavy cream, hot
2 c milk, hot
Salt
Pepper
Garlic powder
Parsley

Step 1. Brown the sausage in the pot you want to make your chowder in. Season with salt, pepper, parsley, and garlic powder. Once it is cooked through, remove from the pot and set aside.

Step 2. Cut up the onion and celery. Sauté in olive oil in the pot you used to cook the sausage. Sauté until the onions and celery are nearly tender, don't brown them.

Step 3. Cut up potatoes while the celery and onions sauté.



Step 4. Add flour to onion and celery, stir to coat. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes. Don't let it brown.



Step 5. Stir chicken stock into the pot, bring it to a boil. Add the potatoes. Reduce to simmer.



Step 6. Heat the milk and cream in a separate pot and season it with parsley.



Step 7. Once the potatoes are tender, add the cream mixture. Add the sausage back into the pot.Taste for seasoning.



Step 8. Enjoy!

Okay, now let's talk about substitutions. Don't want the added calories of cream? Just add regular milk. It will still be delicious. Not a fan of sausage? Use a little bacon, finely diced or leave it out completely. Want different veggies? Add carrots, bell peppers, corn, kale, or mushrooms. I actually decreased the amount of chicken stock and used some water. It was just as good.

I will definitely make this again, but I'll decrease the celery so I can get a 10.