Lightened Up Corn and Potato Chowder

When it comes to soup, I like very much prefer broth based soups over its cream based competitors. I love the comfort of soup but I don't think you need to load a soup with calories and fat for it to be delicious. This is the reason I've never had a love affair with cream of _____  or  _____ chowder or ____bisque....you get my drift.

But I was inspired by a lightened chowder recipe that I got in one of my Weight Watchers Weekly's that I got from a meeting last fall and thought I'd use it as a starting point.

I made it my own by switching up a few things and the end result was a delicious, hearty soup that didn't add inches to my waist line. That's a win-win in my book!!  (Picture courtesy of this website)

Fall Harvest Skinny Corn Chowder

2 medium potatoes (for ease, I opted for the microwavable ones)

1 medium sized Zucchini

1/3 cup chopped onion (i used a Vidalia onion but white would work too)

1 clove garlic, minced

1 c. Roasted Red Bell Peppers, diced

1/3 c. celery, chopped

1 Bag frozen corn (regular sized bag)

6 Strips thick cut bacon, diced

2 C. Skim Milk

1 c. low fat chicken broth (more or less depending on how thick/runny you like your soup) 

Sea Salt and Pepper, to taste

Hot pepper sauce or cayenne pepper, to taste

Grated Parmesan cheese, for garnish

1) Microwave potatoes per directions on the package. If you use regular potatoes, pierce them with a fork and cook in the microwave on high for about 8 minutes, or until tender. Move on to step 2 while this is cooking.

2) Heat a large skillet on medium-high heat. Cook bacon until it is crispy. Place on paper towel to allow oil to drain off of it. Drain oil from the skillet but reserve 1 T or so to cook vegetables in. Place celery, onion and zucchini in skillet and cook in oil until tender but slightly crisp. Add frozen corn and roasted red peppers during the last two minutes to bring to temp.

3) In a soup pot on medium heat, pour milk, chicken broth, garlic, bacon, cooked veggies, salt and pepper, and hot sauce. Cut cooked potatoes in spoon-sized chunks (really a preference thing). Reserve 5-6 chunks, and add the remaining potatoes to the pot. Mash the reserved potatoes and add mash to the soup pot. Simmer for 30-40 minutes to allow all the flavors to marry. Do not bring to a boil (you don't want to ruin the milk).
4) Bowl it up and garnish with a sprinkle of fresh parmesan cheese and enjoy!!

(soup is so hard to judge how much it makes because bowl sizes vary. This recipe makes 3/4 of a normal size pot)

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Bacon and Guacamole Grilled Cheese

Being that I have an almost 4 year old daughter, grilled cheese is usually a fall back dinner idea when I'm crunched for time or if I am making something she won't eat (or that I don't want to share). And each time I make it it looks so good but is a definite let down everytime I take a bite. It's just not .... delicious. Its just not a party on my taste buds. And it leaves me wanting more each time.

I saw a post somewhere that sparked an idea in me. I love guacamole, I love bacon and I LOOOOVEEE cheese. So...I got to cooking. And I hit a home run with this one!! I hope you enjoy!!

**A few notes - you want your cheese and Guac at room temperature to help the cheese melt without burning the bread. And this is MESSY but oh so worth it**

Bacon and Guacamole Grilled Cheese

1 Loaf Gourmet Bread (sourdough or a harder italian work great. I had a Rosemary Olive Oil loaf)
Bacon (I prefer thick sliced)
Sharp Cheddar Cheese Slices (or shredded works too)
Pepper Jack Cheese (shredded or sliced)
Guacamole (recipe below)
Butter Spread


Guacamole Recipe:

3-4 Haas Avacados

1/3 cup red onion, finely chopped

1 Medium Sized Jalepeno, finely diced

1 Bunch of Cilantro (you can add to your taste preference), roughly chopped

Lime
Lemon
Sea Salt, to taste

1) Cut the avacados open and core them. Spoon them into a medium sized mixing bowl.

2) Add in the red onion, jalepeno and cilantro to the bowl of avacado.

3) The lime to lemon ratio is KEY. You want to stick to a 3:1 ratio (lime:lemon). You want to add enough to the avacado to moisten it but not over liquify it. Add very little and keep adding until it feels right. Mix lightly with a fork. You don't want to overwork the avacado. I prefer my Guac a little chunky but not too chunky. And it should be damp but not wet.

4) Season with sea salt to taste. I use a grinder and usually make 3-4 passes with the grinder to get it to where I like it.


To assemble the deliciousness that is the bacon and guacamole grilled cheese...

1) Cook bacon in a frying pan until done to your likeness.

2) Slice the loaf of bread into semi thick slices (about 1/3 of an inch wide)
3) Spread butter on one side of each piece of bread.
4) Place one slice, butter side down, in a frying pan set to medium to medium-high heat. Lay down a slice of cheddar cheese. Spread guacamole ontop of cheese then lay down a few slices of bacon. Then top with the Pepper Jack Cheese then put the other slice of bread on top, butter side up. Cook for 3-4 minutes, or until browned, then flip. I layer it like this because the cheese is a good 'glue' to hold it together.


I hope you enjoy this as much as I did!!! The flavor combination together is AMAZING!

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