Midnight chowder came about for the usual reason, we were hungry. It was midnight and cold. There wasn’t enough bread left for fried egg sandwichs or grilled cheese. The pizza place and closest burger joint were closed. We needed something filling, warm and comforting.
The refrigerator contained part of a cooked chicken breast, leftover mashed potatoes, celery and a quarter of an onion. There was frozen corn in the freezer. The challenge was to combine it all into something that tasted good. The result is a simple chowder type soup that is delicious.
The recipe makes about four or five servings.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon each of cooking oil and butter
- 1 cooked chicken breast or a couple of thighs, diced
- ¼ of an onion, diced
- ¼ cup of celery, sliced
- 1 cup or less frozen corn
- 1 teaspoons of dry chicken boullion for each cup of water
- ½ teaspoon or more poultry seasoning
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- 1 cup of leftover mashed potatoes or enough instant potatoes to thicken
- Water
Directions
Heat 1 tablespoon each cooking oil and butter in a large sauce pan. Prepare the chicken and the vegetables. Add to the hot oil and butter in the pan and sauté for about 10 minutes. Add water enough to come within an inch or two of the edge of the pan. Add the boullion, salt and pepper to taste and the poultry seasoning. Stir and simmer until the celery and onion are tender. Break up the leftover mashed potatoes and stir into the pan. Or slowly add about a cup of instant potatoes, stirring to keep them from forming lumps. Add until the soup is as thick as you want it. Simmer about 20 minutes stirring often.
Serve with crackers, biscuits, muffins or bread and butter.
Notes
Leftover baked potatoes, boiled potatoes or even scalloped potatoes can be used in soups. Peel if needed and break into small pieces. Then stir into the soup.
A leftover pork chop. pork steak, or roasted pork can be used instead of chicken.
If you have green onions use them.
Frozen peas can be added with the corn or used instead of the corn.
A couple of mushroons sliced and sauted along with the vegetables and meat would be a nice addition.
