Spicy Panela Corn Chowder

A couple of weeks ago, Veronika posted a picture of corn chowder on Instagram, and my mind was instantly made up: I had to have homemade chowder right.now. I had never made corn chowder before and had no idea what it entailed, so I went with a basic recipe. Of course, I added a little Annie twist with Mexican queso panela and jalapenos, and it turned out to be the best fricking corn chowder I've ever had. The jalapeno added the perfect kick, and the semi-melted panela was super satisfying!


Spicy Jalapeno and Panela Corn Chowder
(adapted from this recipe via AllRecipes)
1 cup diced bacon
4 medium potatoes, peeled and chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cups stock (preferably chicken)
3 cups cream-style corn
2 teaspoons salt
ground black pepper to taste
2 cups half-and-half
1 10oz package of queso panela (found at most grocery stores)
2 jalapenos, chopped
2 tomatoes, chopped
Directions

1. In a large pot, cook bacon over medium heat until crispy. Remove bacon, reserve about 2 tablespoons of drippings in the pot.
2. Add onions to drippings and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Add in potatoes and cook for five minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Add broth, corn, jalapenos, tomatoes, cheese, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low. Cover pot and simmer 20 minutes, stirring frequently, until potatoes are tender. A few minutes before turning heat off, stir in half and half and bacon.
4. Serve and enjoy!


It's so good.