Loaded Bacon Potato Corn Chowder — Loaded with all the good stuff!! Bacon, cheese, and more! Hearty, comforting, fast, and easy! A dinnertime favorite that’s perfect for busy nights!!
The Easiest Potato Bacon Chowder
It’s chilly out and this chowder is just the thing to warm you up. My family loved the Cheesy Chicken Chowder I recently made and this recipe is spin on that.
It’s easy, ready in about 45 minutes, and the ultimate comfort food.
It’s loaded with savory bacon, juicy corn, tender potatoes, sweet Vidalia onions, carrots, and celery which all add texture and flavor. I need texture and a variety of textures and vegetables to keep me interested and this combination does the trick.
The chowder is thick, creamy, rich, hearty, and wonderfully cheesy. Cheese-based soups are my weakness. The cheesy broth just lures me in.And the bacon just makes everything that much better.
Your house will smell cozy and comforting, complete with the scent of bacon, onions, garlic, and potatoes wafting through the air long after the soup is done simmering.
What’s in Bacon Potato Corn Chowder?
To make the bacon, corn and potato chowder, you’ll need:
- Bacon
- Yellow onion
- Carrots
- Celery
- Garlic
- All-purpose flour
- Chicken broth
- Milk
- Russet potatoes
- Dried thyme and oregano
- Corn
- Sharp cheddar cheese
- Fresh parsley
How to Make Bacon Potato Corn Chowder
Cook the bacon in a large stock pot. Once it’s crisp, remove the bacon to a plate but keep the grease in the pot.
Cook the onion, carrots, and celery in the same stock pot until softened. Stir in the garlic and flour, then stir in the broth, milk, potatoes, and spices. Let the mixture simmer until the potatoes have softened.
Once softened, add the corn and cooked bacon to the pot. Stir the cheese and parsley in last.
Can I Freeze This Chowder?
Yes, but it may split once frozen. That means the texture will be grainy once reheated, but it’ll still be safe to eat.
Tips for Making Potato Chowder Soup
The smaller you dice the vegetables, the faster the potato bacon chowder will be ready. I recommend 1/4-inch dice.
Grate your own cheese because pre-grated convenience bags of cheese are resistant to melting.
At any time while the corn and potato chowder is boiling, if the overall liquid level is lower than you like and the chowder is too thick, adding a cup of extra chicken broth (or milk or water) is okay.
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Loaded Cheesy, Bacon, Corn, and Potato Chowder
Loaded with all the good stuff!! Bacon, cheese, and more! Hearty, comforting, fast, and easy! A dinnertime favorite that's perfect for busy nights!!
Ingredients
- 12 ounces (3/4 of one pound) bacon, diced small
- 2 cups sweet Vidalia or yellow onions, peeled and diced small (about 1 medium/large onion)
- 1 cup carrots, peeled and diced small (about 2 large carrots)
- 1 cup celery, diced small (about 2 stalks)
- 4 garlic cloves, finely minced
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 32 ounces (4 cups) low-sodium chicken broth
- 4 cups milk, or as needed (I use Silk Unsweetened Cashewmilk)
- 2 1/2 cups Russet potatoes, peeled and diced into 1/4-inch cubes (about 2 extra-large potatoes)
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
- 1 teaspoon pepper, or to taste
- pinch cayenne pepper, optional and to taste
- 2 cups corn (I used frozen and added it straight from the freezer)
- 8 ounces extra-sharp cheddar cheese (grate it yourself, pre-grated cheese in plastic bags is resistant to melting)
- 1/3 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, finely chopped
Instructions
- To a large Dutch oven or stockpot, add the bacon and cook over medium-high heat until crisp, about 10 minutes; stir intermittently. Using a slotted spoon, remove bacon from pot and place on paper towels; set aside. Keep the bacon grease in the stockpot. You could drain some off if desired but I didn’t because there are a lot of vegetables that need to sauté in it.
- Add the onion, carrots, celery, and sauté for about 7 to 9 minutes, or until vegetables begin to soften. Stir intermittently.
- Add the garlic and sauté for another 1 to 2 minutes.
- Add the flour and whisk constantly until lightly browned, about 1 minute.
- Add the chicken broth, milk, potatoes, thyme, oregano, salt, pepper, optional cayenne, and bring to a boil. Allow chowder to boil fairly rapidly for about 15 minutes or until potatoes are fork-tender; stir intermittently. At any time while the chowder is boiling, if the overall liquid level is lower than you like and the chowder is too thick, adding a cup of extra chicken broth (or milk or water) is okay. At the end you will adjust the seasoning levels.
- After potatoes are soft, add the corn, and boil for 1 to 2 minutes to warm the corn through.
- Reduce the heat to low, add most of the bacon bits (reserve about 1/4 cup for garnishing), and add the cheese slowly, and stir continuously until melted and combined.
- Add the parsley and stir to combine.
- Taste chowder and add salt to taste. It will vary based on how salty the brand of chicken broth used is, how salty the bacon and cheese are, and personal preference. Make any necessary seasoning adjustments (i.e. more salt, pepper, herbs, etc.), garnish with bacon and cheese if desired, and serve immediately.
Notes
Storage: Chowder will keep airtight in the fridge for 5 to 7 days; reheat very gently prior to serving so it doesn’t ‘break’. I haven’t tried freezing the chowder.
Adapted from Loaded Cheesy Chicken Potato Chowder.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
5Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 636Total Fat: 24gSaturated Fat: 12gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 92mgSodium: 6790mgCarbohydrates: 74gFiber: 8gSugar: 17gProtein: 36g
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This was so good! I rarely make soups of any kind because they never turn out as delicious as I expect, but I couldn’t resist making this recipe and I’m so glad I tried it because it’s comforting and heavenly. Even my 2 year old is obsessed.
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad you decided to make this and that it turned out heavenly! And that even the toddler is obsessed!
YES! This is the chowder recipe I’ve been wanting…no, needing!! Very tasty! I also added shrimp, and chopped asparagus and red pepper to it! I made this when I got home from work last night, and I’ve already had a big bowl for breakfast!! My wife really enjoyed it, too!
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad this is the chowder recipe you’ve been waiting for! Sounds like with your add-ins too it was a total success!
This is delicious. Full of flavour, had it with some homemade biscuits. It is luck your bowl clean good! So happy I found this recipe.
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad you’re happy to have found the recipe!
This is a 5 star recipe…even though I changed it slightly. I omitted the garlic and oregano, added more potato just because i had one left over. I also had some whipping cream in the frig (2 cups) and substituted that for part of the milk. I had barbequed corn in the freezer so that worked out well. This is so awesome, my husband stopped painting the kitchen to try it and wanted a second bowl. Don’t skip the cayenne pepper, it’s not hot, and adds some complexity to the soup. thank you for your hard work….your recipes, pictures and comments are wonderful.
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad you were able to improv a bit and include things you had on hand!
I really appreciate the compliments about my recipes and photography – thank you!
I made this on a chilly Florida day and it was delicious. I will be making this often and since it makes a lot, will freeze some for future meals.
Thanks for the five star review and I’m glad it hit the spot for you and that you’ll make it again!
Soooo good. Added half a pound of sausage and used 2 cans of evaporated milk to make up for added veggies. Ran out of room in the pan! Oh my gosh, so good.
I am glad it turned out so well for you!
I’ve made this a number of times & love it. I like that it uses milk instead of heavy cream as so many chowders do. I also make this when I’ve made a ham & have leftovers-I use it instead of bacon. I also use vegetable stock instead of chicken broth & have added broccoli, cauliflower & jalapeño when I have some in the fridge to use up. Thanks for a great recipe!
Thanks for the five star review and I’m glad you’ve made this many times and are able to take advantage of things you have on hand and toss them into the soup!
Averie this chowder is AMAZING! Me, the husband, our 2 and 4 year old all love this recipe! It has become one of my go to soups during the cold weather months. Thanks for sharing :)
Thanks for the five star review and I’m glad this is a go-to for you during the winter and that the whole family loves it!
This is almost identical to my recipe, but I use smoked sausage rather than bacon. It’s DELICIOUS!
Glad you think it’s delicious!
i think i’ll eliminate the oregano and add one seeded jalapeno, for that Tex-Mex flavor, stirred in with the diced veggies. i also have mesquite powder and am debating adding some of that, as well as smoked sweet paprika, which i’m totally in love with.
AMAZING! I am eating this as I write this. The only change I made was to add chicken and red pepper just because I needed to use it up. I also doubled the corn (I had fresh frozen that I had processed) just because I love corn. Your pics are beautiful. Thank you for a great recipe!
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad this soup was amazing for you! Thanks for the compliment on my pics!
ABSOLUTELY EXCELLENT! Ate the entire batch by myself in two days! Let the dieting begin ~
Glad you got some good eating in and enjoyed it before the dieting begins!
Good recipe. Seem like a lot of garlic. I used less and still seemed to much. I added cauliflower and jalapeño velveeta. Alain used shreeded potatoes
Glad it worked out with the additions you made.
I have to ask? What’s up with the oregano in this recipe? I made this last night and the oregano really gave it a strange flavor. Think it might have been delicious without it, but it was way too overwhelming. Or maybe I was just expecting more of a potato cheese soup flavor. This was more like a creamy Italian vegetable chowder bc of the strong oregano flavor. That 1 tsp messed up the whole pot. Anyone else notice this?
Some people are more sensitive to certain spices and flavors and I honestly don’t even notice the oregano. Thanks for trying the recipe.
Thoughts on making this ahead and reheating? Planning to double or triple the recipe and would prefer to make it ahead if possible. But I know cream/milk based soups don’t always do well made in advance and frozen or even just reheated.
As long as you re-heat over low heat you should be fine. Also the higher fat the milk, the better it will reheat. i.e. use half and half rather than skim or a plant-based milk if you’re concerned.
Could I make the loaded cheesy potato bacon corn chowder in the crockpot? HOW long and what temperature? this sounds amazing
You probably could but I can’t give any specifics or if it will actually work since I have tried it that way.
I’ve done this! Leave the milk and cheese out, 8 hours on low, or 4 hours on high. With about 30-60 mins left (depending on temp) pour the milk in slowly, stir, replace the lid. At the end, add the shredded cheese a handful at a time, stir between each handful, serve.
@Averie Sunshine
This is on my rundown of things to make. Gradually working my way through your soups–I made your white chicken bean stew again last week–it’s a guar
rakhi
Averie,Your soups, girlfriend!! Have printed, a few out before, as well as prepared them.Loved them! Pinned all the soups on the page to my pot of soup PINTEREST board. Yummy in the tummy! So, all the hard work you do is greatly appreciated from this family.Have a very Merry Christmas and a Wonderfully Blessed and Prosperous New Year! You are a joy!
Thanks for the pins and appreciating what I do and the nice comment! Have a wonderful Christmas and a Happy New Year!
This is my perfect kind of winter meal. I’m a sucker for any kind of potato soup, but the bacon and cheese in here makes it even more tempting!
Cheese gets me every time :)
Hi there Averie, a Blessed Christmas to you all.
Thank you so much for all the fantastic soups which I will make in the near future but I am thinking that a lot of them I will make “dry” and not in a soup but in a Bubble ‘n Squeak, scrambled kind of casserole dish as well.
Take care and God bless.
Frances from a Sweltering Hot South Africa
Instead of cashew milk would you use whole milk or skim? Thank you.
Probably whole for a thicker, creamier consistency.
Even if the weather has been unseasonably warm, nothing beats a delicious chowder this time of year. Great recipe, pinned!
Thanks for pinning!
This is on my list of things to make. Slowly working my way through your soups–I made your white chicken chili again last week–it’s a keeper!
Glad the white chicken chili is a keeper for you! And LMK what soup you end up making next!
You’re doing it. Again. I was pretty convinced I’d try your chicken noodle soup today and then you posted this and confused me. Although somehow I missed your chicken chowder recipe …
Oops, sorry, wrong comment–blame it on my Christmas brain.
Looks amazing. I can’t wait to give it a try after the holidays.
This chowder looks incredible! Definitely pinning this to make it later!
Paige
http://thehappyflammily.com
Thanks for pinning!
This is heaven in a bowl!!
I don’t eat bacon very often but I sure do love veggies sauteed in the fat. This soup looks delicious–bacon goes so well with corn and potatoes and cheese just goes with everything!
And the bacon just kind of ‘perfumes’ all the veggies so everything picks up that flavor!