Chicken and Corn Chowder

Not all soups can stand on their own as a meal, but this one can. Chunks of tender chicken, hearty potatoes, and bacon – it’s warm, filling, comforting, and even kid-friendly. To make it extra fast, use leftover chicken from your other meals, or pick up a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store and pull off the pre-cooked meat.

If you’re on a budget or have some extra time, make your own chicken stock and shredded chicken. It really is super easy.

What’s so great about chowder?

Chowder is a stew that originated in France and became popular in North America. Traditionally this hearty dish is made with seafood (think New England clam chowder like this one made friendly for paleo peeps), broth, potatoes, and plenty of cream and is perfect for warming up on cool days.

While this chicken and corn chowder makes a soothing, savory, and filling meal, the corn, fresh green onions, red pepper, and southwest spices make this a fun dish to enjoy year-round. Add more jalapeño if you want an extra kick.

Can you freeze chowder?

Here at Real Plans, we are a big fan of leftovers, and soups and stews tend to taste better after the flavors have had a chance to meld together. But can you freeze chowder – a hearty soup made with cream?

The short answer is YES! We recommend choosing smaller portioned freezer bags so that your chowder can defrost more easily. First label your freezer bags with “Chicken and Corn Chowder” and add the freezing date. Here’s some extra good news: according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, food properly prepared and stored at 0° F (-18° C), will remain safe to eat. That said, we recommend enjoying it sooner than later because it’s just so darn good.

One meal planning method we like is to prepare double. Eat half this week, and save half for 2-4 weeks from now when you’ll be delighted to enjoy this delicious chowder again.

To freeze, allow your chowder to completely cool before transferring it to freezer bags, leaving enough space for the liquid to expand when solid, but removing any extra air from the bag before freezing. Lay flat to freeze but later you can certainly prop up your bags of frozen chowder with other frozen dishes like files in a filing cabinet. This works great in a large Tupperware container.

Because of its high fat content, you may find that the consistency of our chicken corn chowder upon defrosting is not quite the same as when you first made it. The trick is to defrost slowly and completely – overnight in the fridge is a good start. Then heat it slowly on low heat on the stove, taking care to stir well to recombine the ingredients back to their normal state.

How to meal plan with chicken and corn chowder

We love to include a soup per week on our meal plan to have on hand for lunches, snacks, or a quick weeknight dinner.

While this chowder is great on its own, it would be scrumptious served with some crusty bread and a simple green salad.