Busy Day Chicken Corn Chowder

As a College Student, and a mother of two young children, I am busier than I would like to be; which is just one of the many reasons why my slowcooker is my favorite cooking tool.  This Chowder is a great one to make when you have a busy day ahead and need to forget about your slowcooker for about 8 or 9 hours.

Ingredients List:

1 tsp unsalted butter
1 Small Onion, finely chopped
3 Stalks of Celery, finely chopped
2 medium Russet Potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 cups Chicken Broth
1/2 Bay Leaf
1/4 tsp Paprika
1 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1 boneless, skinless chicken breast
2 cups milk
2 TBSP Corn Starch
3-3 1/2 cups frozen corn kernals

In a small skillet or pan, gently saute the butter, chopped onion and celery over medium heat until the onions are soft (this step can be skipped, just put the butter, onion, and celery in the bottom of the slowcooker and turn it on HIGH while you peel and chop the potatoes, just remember to turn it down to LOW once the potatoes go in the pot).  Once the Onion and Celery are taken care of, put them and the cubed potatoes in the slowcooker, lay the chicken breast on top (no need to pre-cook or cut), and add the chicken broth and spices, salt and pepper.  Slowcook on LOW 7-8 hours or more, until the potatoes are soft. 

Take out the chicken breast and shred or cube as desired.  Return chicken to slowcooker, add the milk, cornstarch, and corn.  Mix well, cover and cook on HIGH until warmed through, about one more hour.

Remove the Bay Leaves, dish out and serve!



One modification I always use:  I like to eat chicken breast all the time, there's just soooo much you can do with shredded chicken breast!  So, what I like to do is, I will add up to 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts to the slowcooker in the morning to cook all day with the potatoes and onions; and when it's time to add the milk and corn, I take out all the chicken, shred it, and put 3/4 of the shredded chicken into plastic bins in the fridge for later, and put 1/4 of the shredded chicken back into the pot. 
This way, I can easily make chicken breast sandwiches, or chicken salads, or whatever I want with very little effort.  In effect, by adding extra breasts to the pot, I have turned one versatile dish into half a week's worth of lunches or dinners...

Which is another reason I am so in love with my slowcooker!  By thinking ahead, I am able to save time and effort later, and as a morning person, that is very important!


Tomorrow, I will introduce my famous individually-wrapped meatloaf!  I have been begged by everyone I know to share this recipe, and now, finally, I will be revealing my infamous meatloaf tomorrow night!