Use hot Italian sausage. This corn chowder recipe will work with chicken, bacon and any other protein, but it doesn’t get any better than juicy, flavorful sausage. Don’t skip mirepoix. This corn chowder recipe boasts the classic combination of carrots, onions and celery sautéed in flavorful drippings.
Add sausage, onion, carrots and celery and cook until sausage is cooked through and onions are tender. Add potatoes, garlic, red pepper (if using) and sauté 30 seconds. Sprinkle in flour and cook an additional 1 minute while stirring (it will be thick). Stir in creamed corn, corn, chicken bouillon, bay leaves and all seasonings.
This corn chowder can be adapted to the slow cooker by following the recipe through cooking the flour, then transferring the ingredients to the crockpot and adding all of the remaining ingredients except the half and half. Cover and cook on high for 3-4 hours or on low 6-7 hours or until potatoes are tender.
Add spinach or cabbage at the very end of cooking and cover the pot for 1-2 minutes to wilt. Canned beans. Cannellini beans add a slight sweetness, creaminess and meaty texture. Cheese. This corn chowder is already creamy, but you can also make it cheesy! I personally don’t think it needs any cheese, but then again, cheese makes everything better.