Iowa Chowder

It seems that whenever I make a recipe from the home of Gail Dorr my whole family loves what I make. This Iowa chowder soup was another winner. Since I love posting things that my family loves I am sharing this with you all!

First off we had a ton of carrots in our garden this year. It really was a ton, or at least it was close. That's why they all looked so deformed. They're home grown! Chop up a bunch of carrots and potatoes (not pictured). Then stick them on a cookie sheet and roast them for about 45 minutes in the oven.
Meanwhile chop up an onion and some celery and stick those in a pot of water and boil them.

 While you have all that going I usually pull out my bacon and cook that on our griddle. It's super easy this way.

When the carrots and potatoes have been properly roasted throw them into the pot with the onion and celery. Simmer all of those wonderful flavors together for a bit.
Here's one of those ingredients that make everything good. Butter. Butter is the best. Melt your butter and add flour to it to thicken it up a bit. Next you are going add this to your soup. It will thicken the whole thing up. After all it is a chowder right?
Thickening right along.

 Cream is another ingredient that has almost become a staple in my refrigerator. Cream and corn. You can really go wrong with those ingredients, especially when the corn comes straight from your garden.
Throw in that corn, cream, and creamed corn.
It's beginning to look a lot like a chowder!

 Cheese makes the whole world go round! We never have a shortage of cheese in our house. Dump in a ton of cheese. You really can't ever have too much.
How's that chowder looking now?

Let's make it even better by adding some bacon! Seriously. What's not to like about this whole dish? Nothing.
Top your chowder with some more cheese if you like that kind of thing and enjoy!

Iowa Chowder

3 cups water

2 cups cubed potatoes, skin on

1/2 cup sliced carrots

1/2 cup diced celery

1/4 cup chopped onion

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1/4 cup butter

1/4 cup flour

2 cups milk

2 cups grated cheddar cheese

1/2 lb. bacon, cooked and crumbled

2 cans creamed corn (I substituted one package of my own frozen sweet corn, about 2 cups, for one can of the creamed corn)

Cook 1st seven ingredients for 10-12 minutes in large pot*. Do not drain.

Melt butter. Stir in flour.

Slowly add milk, continue stirring and cook until thickened.

Add cheese and stir into vegetables.

Lastly add corn and bacon.

Heat through.

( *I roasted the carrots and potatoes, instead of cooking them in water, for 15 minutes in a 450 degree oven and just cooked the celery and onion in the water. I think it added a lot of flavor by roasting.)