Corn and Sweet Potato Chowder

🧂 Ingredients

• 8 cobs of corn
• 3 quarts water
• 4 cups sweet potatoes

  , peeled and cubed
• 1 cup sweet onion

  diced
• 2 whole leeks

  cleaned and sliced, see notes
• 1 pound bacon
• 1 tbsp reserved bacon grease
• 1 tbsp dried thyme
• 1/2 tbsp poultry seasoning
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 cup masa

  finely ground cornmeal
• 1 cup cold water
• fresh ground pepper to taste
• 1 cup feta cheese

Instructions

• 1 Cut corn from cob and set aside in a bowl you should have about 6 cups of
  corn.Place corn cobs in a large pot with 3 quarts (12 cups) of water. Bring to a
  boil, turn down low and let simmer for 1 hour. Remove cobs from water strain
  corn stock through a wire strainer or a colander. Set aside. You should end up
  with about 8 cups of stock.
• 2 Cut the pound of bacon into 1/2 inch pieces, and cook in a large pot (at least 8
  quarts). When bacon is crispy and brown remove to a paper towel with slotted
  spoon. Pour grease from pan. Do not clean pan, leave brown bacon bits for next
  step!
• 3 Add 1 tablespoon of bacon grease back to large pot, and turn heat up to medium
  high, when grease is sizzling add onions and leeks to pot. Cook for about 5
  minutes, then add sweet potato cook until potato starts to soften. Add thyme,
  poultry seasoning, 1 teaspoon of salt, smoked paprika, oregano and stir, cook
  for a minute longer bringing out the fragrance of the spices. Add corn stock to
  the pot and cook for about 10 minutes at a low boil.
• 4 Combine masa and water until it makes a loose paste, pour into chowder stirring
  vigorously. Cook for another 10 minutes. At this point if you have an immersion
  blender take your blender and give the chowder a few whizzes around the pot. You
  don’t want the chowder to be smooth you just want to break up a little bit of
  the vegetables to make for a smoother, thicker soup.
  
  ** If you don’t have an immersion blender, have no fear, just take 2 cups of
  soup and put it in your blender and blend until smooth, add back to the pot.**
  
  Continue to cook for another 10 minutes, taste and add 1 teaspoon of salt or
  more if needed, as well as a good teaspoon of fresh cracked pepper.
• 5 Just before serving add 3/4 cup of feta cheese stir.
  
  Serve topped with additional feta and bacon crumbles.

Nutrition Info