Chicken Cheese Chowder

 

      Most Sundays were "soup and scones" day when our children were growing up.  There was no debate over the scones.  Fried and puffy homemade bread dough was always welcome as long as the butter, honey and jam were served as condiments.  But the soup???   A matter for debate between distinct and differing palettes.  So to make it less of a tedious task of talking one child out of her favorite soup and convincing another that mulligatawny is delicious, I gave in.  Yes, I gave in and made two soups, sometimes three to keep peace in our home.  Perhaps that's what it takes - soup for peace.  But this soup was almost always the first choice and spread peace throughout the land!

       Discovered in a random cookbook, as a young cook I thought chicken couldn't hurt and would round the soup out into a full meal - and so the chicken was added to my version of the recipe  (along with some sort of bread - rolls, crusty French or ciabatta.)

      Cheesy, cheese soup is the over-riding theme and the slight crunch of the vegetables add a spark of contrast to the creaminess.  The chicken - keep it tender - swims flavorfully among the rest of the ingredients and the crunch and nuttiness of the garnish toppings are just the things to add interest to this simple but very satisfying soup.

Chicken Cheese Chowder

3 tablespoons butter

1 cup finely chopped or grated carrot

1/2 cup finely chopped celery

1/2 cup finely chopped onion

2 cups rich chicken broth

2 cups milk

1/3 cup flour

8 slices American cheese (room temperature)

1 cup grated cheddar cheese (room temperature)

1 1/2 cups cooked and shredded chicken

salt and pepper to taste

dash of cayenne pepper

dash of paprika

chopped chives or green onion and parmesan crisps

           for garnish

       -In a medium saucepan, saute carrot, celery and onion in melted butter until soft (5 minutes).  Stir in flour and cook over medium heat for 1 minute.  Add broth and milk and cook and stir frequently until thickened and bubbly.  Remove pan from heat.

       -Add American and cheddar cheese and let sit on top of soup for 5 minutes to temper.  Return pot to medium-high heat and stir cheese into soup until melted.  Add shredded or cubed chicken and heat soup through. Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Add cayenne pepper to taste.  To serve, garnish with paprika, chives or green onion and paprika crisps.

To make Parmesan Crisps:  Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat.  Place a heaping tablespoon of grated Parmesan cheese on baking sheet and repeat with the remaining cheese, spacing them apart.  Bake for 3 - 5 minutes until golden and crisp.  Cool completely and crush crisps to garnish top of soup in their serving bowls.

Saute onions, carrots and celery in butter.

Let cheese sit on top of soup to slowly melt 

about 5 minutes.

Melt parmesan cheese in oven or skillet

 to make crisps.

Garnish soup with chives or green onion

 and crushed Parmesan crisps.

PERSNICKETY  NOTES:

     **You can use leftover chicken or packaged cooked chicken 

          pieces or rotisserie chicken for this recipe.  I most often 

         cook my own chicken and if you want to do the same, this 

         is how I do it: 

          Thaw frozen chicken pieces, 2 breasts, several tenders or 

         4 thighs (boneless), or any combination thereof.  (You will

         need 1 1/2 cups shredded chicken for this recipe) Heat 

         oven to 350 degrees.  Melt 1 tablespoon butter or place 1

         tablespoon oil in bottom of baking dish or pie plate.  Place 

         chicken in the dish, salt and pepper lightly then cover with

         foil.  Bake for 30 minutes.  Chicken will remain moist and

         tender with this technique.

     **Try using cubed ham, smoked sausage or crumbled, cooked

         bacon to switch it up and give the soup a variation on flavor. 

     **As I always note for my soups, when using chicken broth or stock

         or bouillon, I suggest the following scale for the best flavor

         in your soup.  And boy, can a natural chicken flavor make a

         huge difference!

            #1 - Home made chicken stock

            #2 - "Better than Bouillon" stock paste

            #3 - Boxed chicken stock

            #4 - Canned chicken broth

            #5 - Magi Chicken bouillon cubes

            #6 - Knorr's chicken bouillon cubes

            #7 - Other chicken bouillon cubes