This is a perfect recipe for colder days. It's modified from a recipe I found in Southern Living. We like spice. If you don't want as much spice, change the amounts of jalapeños and ground red pepper. What I have listed below is actually changed from the way I made it because I was sweating while eating it...wonderfully tasty but perspiration is not necessarily desired :) Use the fat free cream cheese. I was wary myself but you don't need the fat, promise!1 (15-ounce) can cream style corn
1 ½ cups 1% low-fat or fat-free milk
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground red pepper (try 1/8 tsp for milder)
¼ teaspoon chili powder (again, can probably be cut back if desired)
1 ½ Tablespoons of sliced jalapeños (I originally used 3 or more!)
1 ½ cups reduced-sodium, fat-free chicken broth
½ (8-ounce) package fat-free cream cheese, softened
Bring creamed corn and next 4 ingredients to a boil in a 3-quart saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring mixture constantly. Reduce heat to low, and simmer, stirring often, 10 minutes.
Stir 1 1/2 cups chicken broth into mixture. Whisk in softened cream cheese and chopped jalapeño pepper; cook, whisking often, 5 minutes or until cream cheese melts and mixture is thoroughly heated. Serve chowder immediately.
Leftovers are excellent, just note that it gets hotter of course the longer it sits. I did add an additional 1/2 cup of chicken broth and the remaining cream cheese before throwing it in the fridge and that helped cool it down.
Pictured on the side is an impromptu quesadilla...corn tortilla, black beans, mild cheddar, fresh baby spinach and a sprinkle of Garlic and Herb Mrs. Dash. I make them a bit like lasagna...a sprinkle of cheese between each layer. Add a spritz of cooking spray in a medium hot pan, layer on the ingredients, then set a bowl on top to press it down. I took a cookie cutter to some white American cheese to add the stars on top.
