Emily’s Potato Cheddar Corn Chowder

I invented this soup in the 1990s, and it never turns out the same way twice. It’s great for a chilly winter evening.

Ingredients:
oil, butter or water for sautéing
1 large onion, diced
1 or more red, yellow and/or green peppers, chopped (I suggest Trader Joe’s fire-roasted peppers and onions)
1 cube bullion or soup stock (optional)
4 to 8 potatoes, diced
1 can or small bag of frozen corn (I suggest Trader Joe’s roasted corn)
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup milk or cream
1 8-ounce package or more shredded cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Optional ingredients:
sliced mushrooms
shredded carrots (add with potatoes)
Mexican or Indian spices
Trader Joe’s shredded Swiss & Gruyere cheese blend

Directions:
In large soup pot, sauté peppers and onions till soft in water, butter or oil. Place potatoes in the pot and cover with water an inch higher than the potatoes.

Add bullion if desired and boil potatoes for about 15 minutes (less for smaller pieces), until potatoes are soft enough to chew but not dissolving.

While potatoes are cooking, melt butter in separate small sauce pan and stir in flour, stirring constantly until mixture is smooth. Add milk and stir until mixture thickens, then add cheese and stir until it’s melted. Add cheese sauce to soup pot and stir thoroughly, adding milk if necessary to achieve desired consistency.

Add corn to the soup pot, and heat through.  Add salt and pepper to taste and serve with crackers or crusty bread.

Feeds four hungry adults with at least one bowl left for the next day, and can easily go further by adding more veggies and milk. Some people add chicken or bacon, but it’s hearty enough on its own.