Cheddar Chicken Chowder

Well, Hello, Avocado Readers!  It's me, Brigette, from Simple Scribbles...Diane and I started sharing recipes years ago - then our family moved away and I've SO missed all the sharing!  I was SO excited when Diane announced she was starting a recipe blog - what a great idea for someone who only cooks and bakes the bestest, most yummiest foods!  I'm SO excited that Diane has asked me to share! 

One of my best friends, Kelli, made this soup for our family after the birth of our 4th child.  We all fell in love with it - it's the perfect Fall/Winter Soup - hearty, healthy, SUPER simple and easy on the pocket book!  Everyone I've ever made this soup for raves about it and then begs for the recipe -- definitely a recipe worthy to be featured on this scHmanCy new recipe blog! 
Hope you all enjoy it as much as we do!

Cheddar Chicken Chowder

Yield: 7 servings (serving size: 1 1/2 cups)

Ingredients

• 2  bacon slices
• Cooking spray
• 1  pound  skinned, boned chicken breast, cut into bite-size pieces
• 1  cup  chopped onion
• 1  cup  diced red bell pepper
• 2  garlic cloves, minced
• 4 1/2  cups  fat-free chicken broth
• 1 3/4  cups  diced peeled red potatoes
• 2 1/4  cups  frozen whole-kernel corn
• 1/2  cup  all-purpose flour
• 2  cups  2% low-fat milk
• 3/4  cup  (3 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese
• 1/2  teaspoon  salt
• 1/4  teaspoon  pepper

Preparation

Cook bacon in a Dutch oven coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan. Crumble; set aside. Add chicken, onion, bell pepper, and garlic to bacon fat in pan; sauté 5 minutes. Add broth and potatoes; bring to boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Add corn; stir well.

Place flour in a bowl. Gradually add milk, stirring with a whisk until blended; add to soup. Cook over medium heat 15 minutes or until thick, stirring frequently. Stir in cheese, salt, and pepper. Top with crumbled bacon.

Nutritional Information

Calories:   306 (22% from fat)

Fat:   7.5g (sat 4g,mono 2.2g,poly 0.6g)

Protein:   25g

Carbohydrate:   33.7g

Fiber:   2.9g

Cholesterol:   58mg

Iron:   1.6mg

Sodium:   376mg

Calcium:   193mg

Cooking Light, NOVEMBER 1996