Corn Chowder anyone?

Ok, OK, stop hounding me people, the highly anticipated and much sought after corn chowder recipe is FINALLY here. Don't feel bad, I only told Andrea I'd e-mail it right over to her well over 2 months ago. Yeah, I'm cool like that. Anyway, I was waiting 'til I made it again so I could have a picture of it. I feel it's of utmost importance to have a picture of food, so you can get a sense of it, and decide if it looks good or not. The travesty here is, my camera is el sucko and this shot does no justice to the deliciousness that is "the chowder". Dixie tried to tell me I make this like every day or something, and she is sorely mistaken. I at least wait one week in between makings. So what, every other week is totally fine, especially when it is something as fantabulous as this. Know what else makes it so FANTASTIC? I made it last night and the entire thing, start to finish literally took me 20 minutes. HELLO, it doesn't get any faster than that. So, here you go:

Chicken Corn Chowder

This recipe slightly adapted from the Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook

1/4 c. chopped onion (I usually use the dried, minced onion, 'cause I'm to lazy to deal with real onions. Who needs stinky hands and water eyes? Not me. So, with dried only use 1/8 c. or less)

3 Tbl. butter

1/4 heaping C. flour

1/2 tsp. heaping dried dillweed (ALL kitchens should have and use this regularly. I always add more)

1/4 tsp. pepper

1/2 tsp. salt (or more)

2 cups milk

1 cup chicken broth

1 cup water

1 can chicken (If you're super over achiever, you could make your own chicken and shred it in there, but why?)

2 cups corn or one can (I MUCH prefer to use the organic white corn that is frozen at Costco, it is HEAVEN, but can corn will work in a pinch)

1 red pepper chopped (this is my addition to the recipe, ONE because I have a MAJOR love affair with red peppers, two because it adds a lovely layer of flavor and three it gives an otherwise bland color soup some snappy color.)

In a large saucepan cook onion in hot butter till tender but not brown. Stir in flour, dillweed and salt/pepper. Add the milk, chicken broth and water all at once. Cook and stir 'til thick and bubbly. Cook and stir for 1 minute more and then add in the corn, chicken and red pepper; heat through. Makes about 4 (1 cup+) servings.

286 Calories, 12 g fat, 28 g carbs, 18 g protein.

Tips and tricks: Before you start combine all the dry ingredients in one bowl. Get all your wet ingredients in another bowl. After cooking the onions and stirring in the dry ingredients, use a whisk as you pour in the wet ingredients. Constantly whisk and stir until all the flour is broken apart and you see a "sea" of dill floating about. Just keep whisking. I generally add more flour at this point, it all depends on how thick you want your chowder. I probably add another 1/8 cup or more and then a little more milk as well. This is up to you. If you put too much and want to thin it out, add a little water.

If you have a large family, of course double it. I usually double it for our small family because there is always someone over who needs to eat, and Jere loves it so much it all gets eaten.

Final tip: See the bread in the picture? It is an essential MUST to finishing off this meal. If you live in AZ, you just head right on over to Fry's and get their $1.50 french bread in the paper bag. There is crack laced into it, I'm sure, because you can't stop eating it and it goes so perfectly with this chowder. If you don't live in AZ, well then I'm sorry, you'll have to make do with some other french bread. And for those of you over achiever, bread baker people, if you feel so inclined ot make your own, well then so be it. But, the way I see it is, then you've totally negated the amazing 20 minute meal by spending hours making bread. I'm just saying.

PLEASE, come back and give me comments if you end up making this. I'd love to know how it turned out for you and if me and mine aren't just crazy for thinking this is soo freaking good.

HAPPY EATING!