*Pic 1 - Picture from http://www.scatteredthoughtsofacraftymom.com/2015/11/slow-cooker-corn-and-sausage-chowder.html
My Variations from Recipe as Written: Like several of the other recipes I've made in this project, my biggest departure from the original recipe was to use an Instant Pot (electronic pressure cooker) to save time; instead of cooking 4-hours on High (or 8-hours on Low) in a standard slow cooker, I cooked it in the Instant Pot for 20-minutes. However, making the recipe in a regular crockpot slow cooker, as prescribed by the recipe, would produce the same results. Other than that, just one other variation... The recipe author stated she used breakfast sausage, whereas I used hot Italian sausage.
General Thoughts: This soup was very easy to make (which is my favorite type of soup)! Once the sausage is browned, everything goes in the crockpot and automagically becomes a yummy tummy-filling soup (with the quick addition of some evaporated milk and cheese near the end).
*Pics 2 & 3 - Pictures from when I made it
But, of course, just because a soup is quick and easy to make doesn't mean it will be tasty... Luckily, though, this one delivered on taste too! It was creamy and hearty, with just enough corn flavor to satisfy corn chowder fans, without being overpowering. The potatoes were a big component, and the soup turned out more like a thick potato soup than a corn chowder, it seemed to me. However, naming choices aside, the sausage, corn, and potatoes blended well to produce a worthy comfort food.
If I make this soup again (which I definitely would), I'd like to try the author's suggestion to use breakfast sausage but, other than that, I think I'd leave everything else the same. "If it ain't broke, don't fix it!"
Polling the Fam: I really liked the flavor of this soup and would be happy to eat it again. Becky said she loved everything about it... except for the sausage. Becky is a big fan of corn chowder and actually thought the sausage prevented this one from being truly worthy of becoming part of our "normal rotation." Lisa liked it a lot and found it very rich and hearty (filling); a great soup for a cold winter's night! Lisa likewise wanted to try this one with breakfast (instead of Italian) sausage and suggested using two cans of creamed corn to really up the corn flavor. Andrew found the soup spicy (likely owing to the hot sausage) but not overpoweringly so, and he called it "Not my favorite ever, but very good overall." Hunter thought it was really good and especially enjoyed the corn, which he indicated by having three bowls! Fox (my extremely picky kid) tried it but declined to eat more than a couple of bites.
Verdict: Liked it. (4 stars)
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