Crock Pot Seafood Chowder

(originally posted on WGLR.com on 3-25-13)

Well folks, here we are! It’s the last ‘Crock of the Week’ for the season! Remember, all recipes are archived on Julie’s blog to see all year ’round.  Click here: http://juliescrockoftheweek.blogspot.com/

This week’s recipe is from the winner of our “Julie’s Crock of the Week” giveaway! We had 81 entries! Amazing! 

Cathy’s recipe is Seafood Chowder, which is a perfect meal for this time of the year. Now, when I was putting this together Saturday morning, I was very much distracted by my 3 year old, 9 month old, and husband, who were all in the kitchen. I realized when it was too late that I had diced up all the potatoes and threw them in without peeling them. OOps! It was too late to go back, so I just soldiered on. It still tasted great, but didn’t look too pretty at the end (quite brown, ha!), so I am not posting a pic of it, LOL! The only other change I made was that I added in some Old Bay spice. But this was a tasty meal, thanks Cathy! My husband loved it. It’s the first time I have ever used fish in a slow cooker too.

Cathy’s Seafood Chowder

1 1/2 lbs. fresh or frozen fish fillets (Haddock, cod, etc.)
1/4 lb. bacon, diced
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 to 3/4 cup chopped green onion, with tops
2 to 3 potatoes, pared and cubed
1 1/2 cups water
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 13-ounce can evaporated milk

Thaw frozen fillets and cut into bite-size peices. In small skillet, saute bacon and onion until golden, drain and put into CROCK-POT with fish. Add all remaining ingredients except evaporated milk. Cover and cook on Low 6 to 9 hours or until potatoes are tender. (High: 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 hours) Add evaporated milk during last hour.

THANKS AGAIN to everybody who submitted a recipe! And thanks for all the fun from the second season of ‘Julie’s Crock of the Week.’ I always enjoy the notes and calls I get from listeners to chat about recipes 

- Julie Jacobs

Slow Cooker Corn & Potato Chowder

OK, so no more naughty fudge cake for this week. Back to a good meal! Potato and corn chowder!! This hearty chowder will leave your belly full and your tastebuds happy too. Even my non-corn loving husband ate it. Although I don't think he is having leftovers, but that's his fault, not the chowder's :) And I am plugging an "As Seen on TV" gadget which helps me so much for recipes like this...the Vidalia Chopper. OMG, makes cubing potatoes and dicing veggies for recipes like this a BREEZE!

Slow Cooker Corn and Potato Chowder

-8 ounces (1/2 pound) bacon, cooked until crispy and crumbled (I used the packages real bacon bits, I am all for ease in prep)
-2 1/2 pounds Russet potatoes (approximately 5 medium sized potatoes), NOT peeled, diced in 1/4 inch cubes
-8 cups (about 2 pounds) kernel corn (I used frozen)
-1 medium/large sweet yellow onion, finely chopped
-1 cup chopped celery
-6 - 8 garlic cloves, crushed
-1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt
-32 ounces (4 cups) chicken stock
-16 ounces (2 cups) half & half or heavy cream
-salt & pepper

Combine all ingredients EXCEPT half & half in the slow cooker.

Cook on low for 10 hours or high for 6 hours.

Blend about half the soup using an immersion blender or just scoop it into your upright blender then return to slow cooker. (Or if you are like me, and prefer easier ways, I just took a potato masher and mashed up the soup some in the crock pot, I like some potato chunks in my chowder anyway)

Add half & half or heavy cream and continue cooking, uncovered, for about another 15 minutes, until heated through. Salt and pepper to taste.

Recipe from the blog "Mama Loves Food."