This has been a staple in our home every fall and winter since we were married. My mother-in-law made this for Ben a lot before he left home, and she gave me the recipe. I love pulling out the hand-written recipe card. It makes it even more special.
In case you want to copy & paste the recipe, here you go:
2 stalks of celery, chopped
2 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp flour
28 oz. chicken broth
approx. 4 cups diced potatoes ( or 1 package refrigerated diced potatoes and onions)
2 cups milk
1 cup half and half
4 slices bacon crisp-cooked and crumbled (optional)
2 small cans each tiny shrimp, clams, crab meat, all drained and rinsed
1 cup carrots, chopped (optional)
salt & pepper to taste
Start by sautéing the chopped celery in 2 Tbsp of melted butter in a large soup pot.
Cook the celery for about 5 minutes, then sprinkle on the 2 Tbsp flour and stir.
Once combined, continue stirring and pour in the 28 oz. of chicken broth (I prefer low-sodium). Turn up the heat, and bring to a boil.
Toss in the diced potatoes and carrots and return to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium, and simmer for about 20 minutes, or until veggies are soft to your liking (I soften ours quite a bit for my kiddos).
Slightly mash the potatoes with a wooden spoon (or the amazing Pampered Chef Mix n Chop) to thicken the chowder. (Sorry, no picture of this step!)
Stir in the milk, half & half, bacon (if using), and the rinsed and drained cans of seafood.
Season with salt and pepper to your taste.
Serve with grilled cheese sandwiches or warm crusty bread, and enjoy! You'll have enough leftovers for another cold fall night!
Note: This is a great recipe to double and freeze for later. ;)
