Cheesy Broccoli Corn Potato Chowder with Ham

What do you do when cravings collide? 

Recently, I was enamored by a social media post for ham and potato corn chowder, but I also was longing for a cheddar broccoli soup. Plus, I had some fresh broccoli that wasn’t going to stay that way for much longer.

So, I combined two soups into one. Boy, was it good—even though the name is a little long!

Full of healthy veggies and sharp cheddar, with just enough ham to give it a smoky taste. 

Best of all, this recipe is perfect for the slow cooker. Put in the bulk of the ingredients at the start of the day and by dinnertime, all you have to do is blend the mixture to your desired chunkiness (I used a stick blender), and stir in the cheese, cream (if using), and ham. 

Dinner is ready! 

Yield: 6 to 8

Author: Linda Ditch

Cheesy Broccoli Corn Potato Chowder with Ham

What happens when broccoli-cheddar soup combines with a corn chowder? Add some ham, and this soup is the result.

Ingredients

• 1 16-ounce bag frozen corn
• 1 pound Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and diced
• 2 stalks celery, diced
• 2 carrots, peeled and diced
• 1/2 large yellow onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 pound fresh broccoli florets
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, plus more to taste
• 1 32-ounce carton low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
• 2 cups water
• 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 4 ounces Velveeta, diced
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 8 ounces ham, diced

Instructions

1. In a large slow cooker, add all of the ingredients except for the cheeses, cream, and ham. (Add more water if necessary.) Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours, or until the vegetables are tender.
2. Using an immersion (stick) blender, whizz up the soup in the slow cooker until it reaches your desired consistency. (If you don’t have a hand-held stick blender, ladle 2 to 3 cups of the soup into a blender and blend until smooth. Then pour the blended mixture back into the slow cooker.)
3. Add the ham to the soup, and then the cheeses, a handful at a time, stirring until melted and blended into the soup. Then stir in the cream. Taste and add more salt and pepper, if necessary.
4. Serve and enjoy. (FYI: Like most soups, this one tastes even better the next day!)

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Homemade Hot Cocoa Mix

Sometimes you just need chocolate.

I’m in the midst of a January letdown. Like many people, I feel this way after the excitement and joy of the holidays. I wait all year for September to arrive, and my heart dances a little jig when the weather turns crisp, and the celebrations roll through Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, my birthday, and the New Year.

In some ways, January is a relief…a time to relax and recharge. However, this year started with a sinus infection. Plus, the Kansas weather can’t decide what season is the current one. We’ve had a couple of days with snow, but we’ve also had temperatures reach the 60s. This weekend, we were all prepared for a dangerous ice storm, and while there were a few incidents of ice around, the ice apocalypse transformed into a dreary, foggy, chilly, rainy day.

My go-to comfort drink when I want something warm is a nice cup of hot tea. But on days like today, the warming drink has to be hot cocoa.

I saw this Alton Brown recipe online and was attracted by the idea of having a hot cocoa mix ready to go without all of the chemicals found in the store-bought mixes. 

Asian Chicken Noodle Soup

Need a little comfort this winter?

This Asian Chicken Noodle Soup recipe has become my go-to meal for days I’m not feeling well, both in body and spirit. The inspiration for this dish came from two places. One was a terrific vegetable soup I often ordered from my favorite New Hampshire Chinese restaurant years ago. The other was Nigella Lawson’s Noodle Soup for Needy People recipe, which I posted about a few years ago.

This soup is full of healthy ingredients. Feel free to experiment with your favorite vegetables to make it fit your tastes. It is great for using leftover chicken. If you don’t have any, you can use a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store, or poach 2 boneless chicken breasts in the chicken broth before making the rest of the soup. Also, I use those inexpensive packets of Raman noodles, but you can use any type of noodle you like.

Asian Chicken Noodle Soup gives comfort, both when you’re not feeling the best and when you’re just in need of a warm, soothing meal.

Yield: 4 to 6

Author: Linda Ditch

Asian Chicken Noodle Soup

A warm bowl of comfort full of the best Asian flavors.

Ingredients

• 2 32-ounce containers low sodium chicken broth
• 2 carrots, sliced thick
• 2 celery stocks, sliced
• 1/2 large onion, finely diced
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 2 teaspoons fresh minced ginger
• 4 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 to 4 cups chopped bok choy, to taste
• 2 to 3 cups diced cooked chicken
• Salt and black pepper, to taste
• 2 to 4 packages Raman noodles
• 1 can bean sprouts, drained
• Snow peas
• Red pepper flakes, to taste
• Green onions, sliced, for garnish

Instructions

1. Pour the chicken broth into a large pot. Bring to a boil and then add the carrots, celery, onion, and garlic. Turn the heat to a simmer and cook until the carrots are tender, about 20 minutes.
2. Remove the garlic pieces from the pot. Add the ginger, soy sauce, bok choy, and chicken to the pot. Continue to simmer until the bok choy is crispy-tender (or to taste.) Check the seasoning and add salt and black pepper to taste. (The soy sauce is salty, so you may not need additional salt.) Add the red pepper flakes, to taste. (You can leave them out if you don’t like the heat.)
3. While the bok choy cooks, prepare the Raman noodles according to the package directions, leaving out the flavoring packet. Once cooked, divide the noodles between the serving bowls, and add some snow peas and bean sprouts to each dish. Ladle the hot soup into each bowl over the noodles, peas, and sprouts. Garnish with green onions and serve.

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Grandma’s Noodles with Chicken

I've written many times about Mamaw, my mom’s mom, who was a wonderful cook but hated the process. On the flip side is Grandma, my dad’s mom, who loved to cook. She passed that love on to my dad, who also loves to cook, and she's where my cooking gene originated.

If Grandma knew you were coming to visit, she always had something for you to eat, such as cookies, pie, or cake. If she didn't know you were coming, one of the first things she would say was, “Let me make you something to eat.”

Grandma loved feeding people. And since my dad is the oldest of six, there were always a lot of people to feed. This sign that was in her kitchen offers the perfect explanation.

Grandma was a country cook. I remember the tub of lard that sat in her kitchen. Most of the meals featured fried chicken or pork chops…sometimes both…mashed potatoes and pan gravy, and lots of desserts.

But Grandma was best known for her homemade noodles. They were similar to the frozen noodles found in the grocery store, which my research suggests is thanks to her German ancestry. They were a staple at every family meal. To this day family members will close their eyes in reverence at the memory of those delicious noodles cooked in chicken broth. The noodles were coated in so much flour the chicken broth became a thick gravy while they cooked. 

    

 

I watched Grandma make them from time to time, but of course, I never wrote down her recipe. When she died years ago, the recipe went with her. My Aunt Mary told me she had one particular spoon she used to measure the flour, and the only ingredients were flour, eggs, and water.

A few years ago, my sister challenged me to recreate the noodles for Thanksgiving. I did! When I bit into the noodles, all of the memories of Grandma’s kitchen came flooding back.

This time I decided to add chicken and vegetables to the mix to make a complete meal. The Picky Eater liked it, and even ate the leftovers!

I think Grandma would be happy.