It’s winter here in Utah which means cold days and lots of snow. I love ending the day with a large bowl of clam chowder with cornbread on the side. This recipe is one I grew up with, my mom made it all the time and now I do. It cooks up pretty quickly and I always have the ingredients on hand. Even my kids like this soup. Personally I’m always a fan of soups and other comfort foods.
I mean really – does it get any better than than a warm filling bowl of chowder on a cold day? I think NOT! and it takes about an hour to make (more if your filming, less if your not – HA). Growing up my mom always added 2 can’s of chopped clams, but I find that I like even MORE clam flavor so I switched from water to clam juice AND minced (smaller) to chopped clams.
Also I like to add bacon, bacon makes everything better, right? But you can leave it out for a more authentic clam chowder if you want. If you don’t have half and half you can always create your own, with half milk half cream. Honestly it’s what I usually do since I always have cream and milk and rarely have half and half in the fridge.
What is your favorite meal on a cold day? Soups, chili’s and chowders are my go to, easy, one pot, and always a great excuse to make breads too. Do you have a favorite soup recipe you make all the time? I’m always looking for new soups to make!
- 2 Lrg onions diced
- olive oil
- 5-6 big potatoes peeled and cubed
- 2 celery stalks chopped
- 6.5 oz Can crushed clams
- 16 oz Clam Juice
- 3/4 C butter
- 3/4 C all-purpose flour
- 1 pint half and half
- 1/2 jar bacon bits optional
- shredded cheddar
- salt and pepper
- In a large pot saute the onions, potatoes and celery until the onions are golden
- add the jars of clam juice and the juice from the can of clams (reserving the clams for later)
- then add enough water to cover vegetables and a dash of salt Boil.
- In small pot (while the vegetables are boiling) melt butter
- add the flour and stir to paste.
- Add the half and half and stir over medium heat until it's thick.
- When the vegetables are cooked through, about 15 mins add the cream sauce to the big pot.
- Add the clams, bacon bits and pepper to taste.
- The longer you let the chowder simmer the better the flavor.
- Serve the chowder with the cheddar, extra bacon bits and cornbread.
Recipe Video
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