Baconless Corn Chowder

I looked and looked for a chicken corn chowder recipe that didn't include any bacon. (I hate to cook bacon.) I just couldn't find any that looked good to me or weren't tons of work, so I made my own recipe. This recipe is loosely based on "Chicken and Corn Chowder" from allrecipes.com (submitted by Argo): http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Chicken-and-Corn-Chowder/Detail.aspx.

- 4 small red potatoes
- 1 small onion
- 1 green bell pepper
- 2 or 3 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 package boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into small pieces
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 2 cups frozen whole kernel corn
- 1 (14.75 oz.) can creamed corn
- salt, pepper, and dried basil to taste
- 1/4 cup corn starch
- 1 cup milk
- 2 tbs sour cream
- 1 3/4 cup shredded cheese (I used swiss and cheddar)

Wash potatoes and microwave until about half done (about 3 min.) Cut up into bite sized pieces. (I didn't peel my potatoes, but you could.) Saute onion, pepper, and garlic in olive oil until they start to soften. Add chicken. Saute until chicken is done. Add broth, frozen corn, creamed corn, salt, pepper, and basil. Bring to a boil, and reduce heat so soup simmers. Mix corn starch into milk and add to soup. Add sour cream. Mix well. Simmer soup for 20 minutes. Add cheese and cook another 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.

I served the soup with sourdough bread.

I thought this soup was great, especially on a damp, cold fall day. Given that there were chicken and potatoes, it was a filling soup, which John appreciated. I think it could easily be adapted to be whatever you wanted it to be. I will definitely make this recipe again.