Cheddar Corn Chowder

This post is sponsored by Sargento Cheese. All opinions and text created by myself.

One of my favorite recipes to make is Cheddar Corn Chowder. How many Hoosiers do you know that don't love corn?! It was a recipe I came up with after my husband and I got married. I married into a freezer full of sweetcorn. Every summer, my husband's family gets together to pick truckloads of sweetcorn. Later, the corn is shucked, cut and boiled. After the corn is prepped, it is placed into freezing containers and divided up to go into every one's freezers. Everyone in the family looks forward to enjoying fresh sweetcorn all winter long! 

This recipe reminds me of winters in the old farmhouse we started in and the kitchen where I learned to cook. Although it was small, inconvenient, drafty and I had to work around the washer and dryer, I still hold a lot of dear memories there! 

Anyways, I've teamed up with Sargento to warm you up on one of the coldest days in history with this cheesy recipe. It's a simple classic you should tuck away into your go-to recipes for these long, cold winter months! Their recipe is very similar to mine except I like to include ground sausage. We like our meat and since I also married into a family of pork producers, we always have a lot of pork around.

Here are your cast of characters:

• 1 Cup Sargento Shredded Mild Cheddar Cheese, divided
• 1 Cup Water
• 2 Cups Diced Potatoes
• 1 Cup Sliced Carrots
• 1/2 Lb. Ground Sausage
• 1 Cup Chopped Celery
• 1 Tsp Salt
• 1 Tsp Pepper
• 2 Cups Frozen Corn
• 1 1/2 Cups of Milk

I start by browning my sausage. While the sausage is browning, I like to slice and and prep my veggies. Prep tip: When I want to measure vegetable ingredients, I like to put a measuring cup inside a bowl under my mandolin. When you do this, be very careful! It's easy to cut yourself. 

Once all of your sausage is nice and brown, drain it. Add the water, sausage, salt, pepper, potatoes, carrots and celery to a roomy stock pot.

Let everything simmer for about 10 minutes covered in the stockpot. You'll later add the corn and simmer for another 5 minutes. Before adding the corn, you may quite possibly need to add more water if it all evaporates.

This is when your kitchen starts to smell really good!

I love when a recipe is simmering on the stove! It gives me a chance to unload the dishwasher, clean up the kitchen, fold a load of laundry or catch up on some good reads. What do you like to do when your recipe is simmering?

So after you've simmered the corn with the rest of the ingredients for 5 minutes or so, you'll want to drop in about 2/3 cups of Sargento Mild Cheddar. Stir until the cheese is melted and the chowder is heated through. You should be ready to serve at this point!

I like to serve chowder fresh off the stove when it's nice and hot. Sprinkle the leftover cheese after you divide your servings into bowls.

I do hope you guys enjoy this simple, classic recipe! Serve this chowder along with some fresh, warm rolls. To find more great recipe ideas along with Cheddar Corn Chowder, please visit Sargento.com. Stay in touch with Sargento via Facebook and Pinterest!

Cheddar Corn Chowder

Adapted from Sargento Cheese for Old Blue Silo

www.oldbluesilo.com

• 1 Cup Sargento Shredded Mild

    Cheddar Cheese, divided

• 1 Cup Water
• 2 Cups Diced Potatoes
• 1 Cup Sliced Carrots
• 1/2 Lb. Ground Sausage
• 1 Cup Chopped Celery
• 1 Tsp Salt
• 1 Tsp Pepper
• 2 Cups Frozen Corn
• 1 1/2 Cups of Milk

Brown Sausage. Drain. In a stock pot, combine water, sausage, carrots, potatoes, celery, salt and pepper. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Additional water may be added. Add corn and simmer covered for another 5 minutes. Stir in 2/3 cups of cheese and milk until cheese is melted. Serve hot and top with remaining cheese.