Description
This easy Crock Pot Corn Chowder is a creamy, flavorful comfort food made with fresh corn, potatoes, carrots, and a savory blend of aromatics. Slow-cooked to perfection, the chowder achieves a rich texture from blending and a decadent finish with heavy cream. Topped with crispy bacon and green onions, this dish is perfect for a hearty meal any time of year.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Corn Chowder Base
- 10 ears fresh corn
- 2 1/2 cups chicken broth
- 1 carrot, peeled and diced
- 2 medium russet potatoes, peeled and chopped
- 1 sweet onion, peeled and chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, smashed
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 3 thyme sprigs or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 tablespoons butter, cut into slivers
To Finish
- 1 cup heavy cream
Toppings
- 4 slices thick-cut bacon, cooked and crumbled
- Sliced green onions, to serve
Instructions
- Prepare the Corn: Cut the kernels from the corn cobs and place them in a 6-quart crock pot. Using the back of your knife, scrape the remaining corn ‘milk’ from the cobs and add to the pot for extra flavor.
- Add Vegetables and Seasoning: Add the chicken broth, diced carrot, chopped potatoes, chopped onion, smashed garlic, salt, black pepper, red pepper flakes, and thyme to the crock pot. Stir gently to combine the ingredients evenly.
- Add Butter: Scatter the slivers of butter over the top of the mixture for a rich flavor as it cooks.
- Slow Cook: Cover and cook the chowder on LOW for 6 hours, allowing the flavors to develop and the vegetables to become tender.
- Blend for Creaminess: Remove half of the chowder and let it cool slightly. Then blend until smooth in a blender, or use an immersion blender in the crock pot to blend about half of the chowder, creating a creamy base while leaving some texture.
- Add Cream: Stir in the heavy cream thoroughly for a luxurious finish. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
- Serve: Ladle the chowder into bowls and top each serving with crumbled bacon and sliced green onions for a delicious, colorful garnish.
Notes
- You can substitute frozen corn if fresh corn is out of season—use about 6 cups.
- For a vegetarian version, use vegetable broth and omit bacon.
- The chowder thickens as it cools. Add extra broth or cream to thin if needed.
- For an extra smoky flavor, stir some bacon into the chowder before serving.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl (about 1 1/2 cups)
- Calories: 395
- Sugar: 9g
- Sodium: 1270mg
- Fat: 22g
- Saturated Fat: 11g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 43g
- Fiber: 4g
- Protein: 10g
- Cholesterol: 55mg
