Crab & Corn Chowder

My inspiration was the Pioneer Woman.  

Adore her, but she must have a seriously high metabolism or an intense daily workout.

Her Corn & Cheese Chowder caught my eye but I decided to tweak it a bit with what I had on hand.  Modifying a few ingredients to make the recipe a bit healthier was also my intention.

Here we go...

Crab & Corn Chowder

Ingredients:

1 pound "fake" crab (go for real crab if you can get it, but we're landlocked and it's pricey)

4 red skinned potatoes (skinned and chopped)

1/4 stick of butter

1 onion, chopped

3 slices of bacon

1 bell pepper- any color (finely diced)

5 ears of corn, kernels sliced off (or 2 cans of corn)

1/4 cups flour

3 cups chicken broth

1 1/2 cups half and half

1/2 cup skim milk

1 cup grated Monterey Jack cheese

1 cup grated Pepper Jack Cheese

1/3 cup of green onions (sliced)

Directions:

In a large pot, melt butter over med. high.  Cook potatoes and onions for a couple of minutes, until potatoes are soft.  Add bacon and cook for another minute or so, then add bell pepper and cook for a few more minutes.  Finally, add corn and cook for 1 minute.  SPrinkle four evenly over the top and stir to combine.  All this to thicken for 3-4 minutes, then reduce heat to low.  Stir in skim milk and half and half, then cover and allow to thicken for about 15 minutes.  Stir in cheeses and green onions.  Stir in crab.  When cheese is melted and the soup is hot add a dash of salt and pepper, to taste.

This chowder is unbelievably delicious and tastes even better the next day.  My husband and daughter asked me (immediately after we finished it) when I was going to make it again.:)