Cheddar Chowder
The first time I had this chowder was the summer of 1991 when our daughter was born. Ā My friend Cindy Hilty (also a cousin by marriage) brought supper to us – and this was it. Ā My three boys under five loved this chowder and begged for more. Ā So of course, I asked Cindy for the recipe. Potatoes, carrots, celery, and cheese are the main ingredients. Ā A white sauce with butter, flour and milk round out this recipe.
You start out with a white sauce. Ā Melt your margarine and then stir in flour. Ā Gradually add milk, stirring so it stays smooth and doesn’t stick. Ā While you’re doing that, you can be cooking your vegetables in another kettle. Ā By the time one is done, the other will be also. Ā Then you add the two together.
Make a large kettle of this and share some with a neighbor. It’s a quick and easy supper. Ā To reheat, you might need to add a little milkĀ because it thickens while it sits.
Although the chowder is called Cheddar, you can add meat to the kettle. Ā I’ve used ham, tuna, hamburger or sausage (fried and drained), and salmon. Ā Our favorite addition is ham.
This chowder is an easy way to use up leftover ham from the holidays. Ā It works for any day of the week, and especially on chilly evenings when you just want a bowl of soup or chowder.
Cheddar Chowder
Ingredients
- 2 cups water
- 2 cups diced potatoes
- 1/2 cup celery
- 1/2 cup diced or shredded carrots
- 1/4 cup chopped onion
- 1 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/4 tsp. pepper
- 1 cup of one of the following: ham bacon, tuna, salmon, hamburger, or sausage
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1/4 cup flour
- 2 cups milk
- 2 cups grated cheese
Instructions
- Cook together the first 7 ingredients (water through pepper)
- Do not drain
- In another pan, melt butter
- Add flour and stir until smooth
- Add milk, stirring until slightly thickened
- Add cheese and stir until melted
- Mix vegetables and sauce together
- Add meat of your choice
- Heat through and serve.