This corn and potato chowder features sweet roasted corn, smoky bacon, and tender potatoes in a creamy broth seasoned with plenty of herbs and spices. Serve it with a side salad and a loaf of crusty bread because you’re going to want to soak up every last drop of broth!
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I’m a huge fan of corn, if you couldn’t tell already by our corn succotash, corn puree, and Mexican street corn pasta salad recipes. And the grilled street corn is one of my all-time favorite Disneyland foods.
And this bacon potato corn chowder may just be my favorite way to enjoy it.
I hate that we tend to eat corn just in the summer, so we decided to make a cozy fall soup using sweet corn. My husband tested all sorts of variations of this soup to perfect it, and I got the chance to be a very willing taste tester.
The combination of the creamy broth, veggies, and sweet corn flavor is the perfect transition meal from summer to fall. Plus, the added potatoes and bacon make this a full hearty meal, all on your table in less than 30 minutes!
Why people love this chowder
- One pot recipe – outside of roasting the corn in the oven, the potato and corn chowder is cooked completely in one pot, making less dishes for you!
- 30 minute recipe – this is a super quick and easy soup, on the table in under 30 minutes including roasting the corn!
- Perfect for parties – with this being so quick and easy to make, it’s perfect to double or triple to share with friends and family!
Ingredients in corn chowder
Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
- Corn – you’ll need three ears of corn, kernels removed. You can also make this with canned corn or frozen corn, just make sure to thaw and dry before roasting. And nothing is nearly as good as fresh sweet corn!
- Bacon – cut the strips into 1-inch pieces.
- Potatoes – I like using russet potatoes so they don’t just dissolve into the chowder but really any potato you have or love will work, just peel and chop into large pieces.
- Flour – thickens the chowder giving it just the right consistency. If you want to make this chowder gluten-free, you can also use tapioca starch or cornstarch.
- Chicken broth – I typically use a low-sodium chicken broth so that I can control the amount of salt that goes into the chowder!
- Heavy cream – you could also use whole milk if you don’t have cream, but it won’t be quite as thick as making this recipe as written.
How to make Corn and Potato chowder
Making this chowder is pretty much as simple as roasting the corn then cooking everything together in one pot! I’ve included an outline of the process below but make sure to read the recipe card for full measurements and instructions!
1 – Roast the Corn
- Preheat the oven to 375°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Toss corn kernels with olive oil in a bowl until well coated then pour them out onto the prepared baking sheet, trying your best to keep them in one layer.
- Roast in the preheated oven for 5-7 minutes, until nice and caramelized, then set aside.
2 – Make the Corn Chowder Base
- Add butter and olive oil to a large pot and heat until the oil is hot.
- Add the bacon and cook until crisp, then remove from the pot (leaving the oil behind). Then chop that bacon into small pieces.
- Add the celery and cook until the celery is soft, then add the spices and cook for another minute.
- Add the flour and stir for a minute before adding the chicken broth and bringing it all to a boil.
3 – Finish the potato and corn chowder
- Add the potatoes and cream then return to a boil and boil until the potatoes are soft.
- Add the roasted corn then salt and pepper to finish the chowder.
Garnish the chowder with crisp bacon pieces and fresh parsley and serve hot. Or if you’re serving this at a party, serve the chowder with a bowl of bacon pieces on the side of people to add their own.
If you’re doing this just make sure to cook a little extra bacon because some people do go overboard on bacon!
How to store corn chowder
Store any leftover potato and corn chowder in the fridge in an airtight container for up to five days. To reheat, you can either put it back on the stove and let it warm up or just toss in a cold oven and heat the oven (and soup along with it) to 350 degrees or until it’s warm enough for your preference.
How to Freeze Corn and Potato Chowder
This chowder freezes extremely well since it’s such a creamy soup! Put any leftovers you’d like to freeze in freezer safe containers and freeze for up to three months.
Recommended Tools
I personally love using these Souper Cubes that have pre-portioned silicone sections so you can just pop out one individual serving at a time when you’re ready to enjoy it – so much easier than normal freezer safe dishes!
What to serve With corn chowder
- Crusty bread or rolls – these homemade rolls or these pumpkin shaped rolls would be delicious dipped in the soup!
- Salad – a sweet salad (opposed to a savory one) would be a great complement to this. I love this strawberry spinach salad for summer or this apple pomegranate salad one for fall.
Helpful Tips
Toast the kernels on the stove. If it’s a really hot day and you don’t want to turn on the oven, feel free to toast the kernels in a skillet. Just make sure to use a large one so you can stick to a single layer or two – this is the same way we caramelize corn for our white chicken enchiladas.
Use canned corn in a pinch! It needs to be drained really well and left out to dry for a bit. Any extra moisture will prevent the kernels from getting a nice char.
Make sure to chop the potatoes all about the same size so they cook at the same rate. You don’t want half of your potatoes to be dissolving into the soup while the others are still hard because you cut half small and half large.
Recipe FAQs
What is the best way to thicken chowder?
I love adding flour to the bacon fat to make a roux. It adds flavor and thickens the chowder without leaving any flour lumps. If you’re looking for a gluten-free alternative, you could switch it with tapioca starch or omit the flour and use a cornstarch slurry at the end.
Can you use milk instead of cream in chowder?
Yes, however, try and use whole milk or at minimum two percent. The higher the fat content, the creamier and richer it will be.
Corn and Potato Chowder
Ingredients
- 3 ears corn kernels removed (about 2 1/4 cups)
- 4 TBS olive oil divided
- 2 TBS butter
- 6 strips bacon cut into 1-inch pieces
- 2 stalks celery chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced (about 2 tsp minced)
- 3 tsp dried thyme
- 2 TBS flour
- 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 medium russet potato peeled and diced
- 2 tsp dried parsley optional garnish
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- Place corn kernels and 2 TBS olive oil in a large bowl and toss until kernels are well coated.3 ears corn, 4 TBS olive oil
- Put coated kernels on a baking sheet and roast them in the oven for 5 – 7 minutes then set it aside to add to chowder later.
- Heat the butter and remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a 6 quart pot over medium heat.2 TBS butter, 4 TBS olive oil
- Once hot, cook the bacon pieces until crisp, about 5 minutes. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and set aside, leaving the oil in the pot.6 strips bacon
- Add celery to the oil in the hot pot and cook for about 8 minutes, until celery is soft.2 stalks celery
- Add the garlic and thyme and cook for an additional minute.2 cloves garlic, 3 tsp dried thyme
- Add the flour and stir to coat the celery, cook for 1 more minute.2 TBS flour
- Add the chicken broth and bring to a boil.3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- Once the soup is boiling, add the potatoes and cream and return to a boil then continue boiling for about 7 minutes until the potatoes break down.1 cup heavy whipping cream, 1 medium russet potato
- Add the roasted corn, then add salt to taste.salt
- Serve chowder garnished with parsley and bacon pieces.2 tsp dried parsley
Tips & Notes:
Nutrition Info
More Soup Recipes
Finish your fall meal plan with any of these other cozy soup recipes:
- Butternut squash soup – this classic fall soup gets a creamy upgrade and then topped with spiced pepitas!
- Chicken noodle soup with egg noodles – just like your grandma used to make with homemade egg noodles!
- Easy beef stew recipe – stew meat, spices, and veggies are simmered together resulting in a delicious dinner for the entire family!
- Zuppa toscana copycat recipe – filled with sausage, hearty veggies, and a creamy broth, it’s so good you’ll never know it’s a healthier version of the soup Olive Garden made famous.
- Beef barley soup recipe – just a few minutes of work rewards you with a flavorful and hearty soup that’s perfect for the fall or winter!
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