Chicken Broccoli Corn Chowder

This was one of those recipes where you just keep throwing more stuff in it, you know what I mean?  It is WAY more than just a Corn Chowder recipe, I just didn't want to be too wordy. 🙂  I thought Chicken Broccoli Sweet-Potato Butternut Squash Bacon Mushroom Cilantro Chowder might be a little much.

So many corn chowders have bacon in them so I added some turkey bacon (nitrate/nitrite free of course) and it added  just enough of that salty bacon taste that perfectly complemented the sweetness of the corn.  This dish is hearty enough to be a complete meal.   Oh and I just LOVE the addition of fresh cilantro!  But if you are one of those people that don't like cilantro, you can easily omit it.  Different strokes, right?

Ingredients

5 uncured, nitrate & nitrite free turkey bacon slices
1 tablespoon  butter
1 medium onion, chopped
½ cup chopped mushrooms
¼ cup whole wheat flour
6 cups low-salt organic chicken broth
2 cups ½-inch cubes peeled seeded butternut squash
2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled, cut into ½-inch cubes
1 tablespoon thyme, dried
1 16-ounce bag frozen corn kernels
1 cup milk (I used organic skim)
1 ½ cups broccoli, chopped
1 ½ cups diced roasted or grilled chicken
½ plus ¼ cup chopped green onions
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
salt & pepper to taste

1. Cook bacon in large pot or dutch oven over medium-high heat until crisp. Using slotted spoon, transfer bacon to paper towels to drain.
2.  Add butter to pot; melt over medium-high heat. Add onions and mushrooms. Sauté until onions are soft, about 5 minutes. Add flour; stir 2 minutes. Mix in broth, then squash, sweet potatoes, and thyme; bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer uncovered until squash and potatoes are tender, about 10-12 minutes. Add corn, milk, and broccoli. Simmer until corn and broccoli are tender, about 10 minutes. Add chicken, ½ cup green onions, and ½ cup cilantro; simmer 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Ladle chowder into bowls; sprinkle with remaining green onions, cilantro and chopped bacon.

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 1 serving (⅙ of recipe)
Amount Per Serving
Calories 266 Calories from Fat 36  **7 WW Points Per Serving
Total Fat 4.0g
Saturated Fat 1.6g
Trans Fat 0.0g
Cholesterol 34mg
Sodium 611mg
Total Carbohydrates 43.2g
Dietary Fiber 5.8g
Sugars 6.8g
Protein 16.7g

Nutritional Information provided by www.caloriecount.com, not 100% guaranteed

I hope you enjoy this as much as we did.  Please come back again soon!