So I chopped up my onion, bacon and peppers, and got them sauteing. Then added the corn.
After adding the flour, I added the chicken broth and milk (I never have half and half in my fridge.)
At this point you let the chowder simmer and thicken for 15 minutes. My chowder never really thickened. But I thought the cheese would help that out. It didn't. My chowder was more like a corn soup. :(
I'm hoping that chowder, like gumbo, tastes better the next day. Hopefully it will thicken and the flavors will meld.
I'm not sure where I went wrong - I don't think the half and half would have made THAT big of a difference in thickening the chowder. I also think I should have cooked and crisped the bacon separately then added it to the chowder - I've learned I'm not a fan of chewy bacon.
It was still a warm, filling dinner that was quick and easy to put together.
UPDATE:
After reheating and having for lunch today, the chowder was thicker. It still seemed flat tasting tho. I hadn't added any salt because it has bacon in it, but i decided to add a little. It made a HUGE difference!
I used Ree's recipe too, and had the same issues. Now I always crisp the bacon, and set it aside on paper towels. Then add the butter and saute the veggies in the same pan. For thickening, after you add the flour you have to cook it for a few minutes, stirring constantly. Then it should thicken properly. Any lumps will dissolve when you add the broth if you stir well while pouring. Hope that helps some. Love your blog!
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