Howdy all! I hope you had a nice weekend and are staying warm wherever you are. It’s a nippy negative five degrees outside as I type this – aka you couldn’t pay me enough money to step outside my door and into the howling wind, which scared the bejeezus out of me a couple nights ago!
Ben and I watched a particularly haunting episode of 48 hours featuring an insane arsonist this weekend, and the creepy wind shaking the house plus a smoke alarm with a low battery that started beeping in our bedroom at 3am left us both wide awake in the wee hours of the morning. Dunh-dunh-dunnnh! Sorry but what are the odds that we watch a show about a guy who sets fire to people’s houses when he’s mad, then our smoke alarm goes off 5 hours later?
And while we’re on the topic, why do smoke alarms always seem to go off in the middle of the night? That was seriously the fifth time in as many years that that’s happened to us. Riddle me that?!
Anyway, control what you can. Since it’s bitterly cold out there right now I made a big pot of perfectly spicy Cheesy Pepper Jack Potato Chowder to warm up with this weekend.
Cheesy Pepper Jack Potato Chowder is thick, creamy, cheesy and just slightly spicy with the addition of both shredded Pepper Jack cheese and red chili pepper flakes in the ingredient list. I am NOT a spice lover – I order a “0” on the spice scale at our favorite Thai place in town – but they provide just the right amount of warmth in this recipe. It’s so, so good. Comforting, cozy, and gluten-free, too! The perfect chowder to ladle up then lay down by the fire with.
Plus, there’s bacon!
Start with the aforementioned bacon. Crisp 8 slices bacon in a big soup pot over medium heat. Transfer the crisped bacon to a paper towel-lined plate to drain then remove all but 1 Tablespoon bacon grease from the pot.
Remember, the easiest way to discard bacon grease is to spoon it into a foil-lined bowl then throw it away once it cools (or save it, if that’s your jam!)
To the bacon grease add 1 chopped celery rib and 1 large chopped shallot. Season with pepper then saute until tender, about 5 minutes. Next add 1/4 teaspoon red chili pepper flakes and 2 cloves minced garlic then saute for 30 more seconds. You can add more or less red chili pepper flakes depending on how spicy you like your food. I found 1/4 teaspoon to be perfect for me.
Next add 1-3/4 cups chicken broth and 2 cups 2% milk.Â
Now add 4 cups Southern Style frozen hash browns. I LOVE using frozen hash browns in this chowder recipe, vs cutting up potatoes myself, because, well, it’s as easy as opening a bag. Plus they cook in no time at all.
“Southern Style” simply means “cubed” hash browns, btw, and you don’t need to thaw them before adding to the chowder.
Alrighty, next add TONS of freshly cracked pepper to the chowder then crank the heat to bring it to a boil.
While that’s happening, whisk together 2 Tablespoons gluten-free or all-purpose flour (I like Bob’s Red Mill gluten-free White Rice Flour for thickening soups and sauces) with 1/4 cup chicken broth in a small bowl until smooth. Once the chowder has come to a boil, drizzle the mixture in and give a big stir to combine, then turn the heat down to medium-low and simmer until the chowder has thickened and potatoes are tender, about 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, shred the chowder’s namesake cheese – 8oz Pepper Jack. You can hand shred with a box grater or use a food processor with a grating blade to make things go super quick. I would definitely recommend grating fresh vs buying pre-grated cheese, as pre-grated doesn’t melt quite as smooth.
Once the chowder has thickened and the potatoes are tender, remove the pot from the heat then add the cheese about 1/2 cup at a time, stirring until smooth before adding the next batch.
Finally, stir in half the bacon and let the chowder sit and thicken for about 5 minutes.
Ladle the chowder into bowls then top with the remaining bacon and sliced fresh green onions. Perfection!
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Cheesy Pepper Jack Potato Chowder
Description
Gluten-free Cheesy Pepper Jack Potato Chowder is thick, creamy, and just spicy enough.
Ingredients
- 8 strips bacon (1/2lb), chopped
- 1 rib celery, chopped
- 1 large shallot or 1/2 small onion, chopped
- pepper
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 teaspoon red chili pepper flakes (or more or less)
- 2 Tablespoons gluten-free or all-purpose flour (see notes for brand used)
- 2 cups chicken broth, divided
- 2 cups 2% milk
- 4 cups Southern-Style frozen hash browns
- 8oz freshly shredded Pepper Jack cheese
- 2 green onions, chopped
Directions
- In a small bowl whisk together 2 Tablespoons flour with 1/4 cup chicken broth then set aside.
- Heat a large soup pot over medium heat then add chopped bacon and cook until crisp. Remove bacon to a paper towel-lined plate to drain then remove all but 1 Tablespoon bacon grease from the pot. Add celery and shallots, season with pepper, and then saute until tender, 4-5 minutes. Add minced garlic and red chili pepper flakes then saute for 30 seconds, stirring constantly.
- Add remaining 1-3/4 cups chicken broth, milk, hash browns, and lots of freshly cracked pepper to the pot then turn heat up to high and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Slowly drizzle in flour/chicken broth mixture then stir to combine. Turn heat down to medium-low and simmer until chowder has thickened and potatoes are tender, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes.
- Remove pot from heat then add shredded cheese about 1/2 cup at a time, stirring until completely smooth before adding the next batch. Stir in 1/2 the cooked bacon then serve with remaining chopped bacon, and chopped green onions.
Notes
- I like Bob's Red Mill White Rice Flour for thickening soups and sauces.
This recipe is courtesy of Iowa Girl Eats, http://iowagirleats.com.
Like I said – total comfort food! I love how luscious this chowder is, with creamy potato cubes bobbing in the warm, cheesy broth. Plus, any chowder that passes the spoon test is a winner in my book. Enjoy!
Jennifer 01.13.2014
Just curious, did you use jalapeno in this recipe? I see it in the photos, but didn’t see it in the recipe, and wasn’t sure if I just missed something. If you did want the extra spice, when would you suggest adding the jalapeno? Thanks!
Kristin 01.13.2014
I just used it as a photo prob to show that the chowder is somewhat spicy. It would definitely be good chopped up in here if you wanted more spice!
erica 01.07.2014
just made this tonight and it was delicious…instead of bacon i used ham left over from Christmas. instead of bacon fat…a tbsp of butter. also, instead of 2% milk, i used skim – a lighter version, but still rich and creamy nonetheless.
thanks for the recipe!
Amelia 01.07.2014
I made this tonight and it was great !! I did add some ham n only used half the cheese. I will def make this again
Ashleigh 01.07.2014
It’s been cold for us here in Atlanta (in the teens today) so I made this over the weekend – wow! I forgot to grab bacon at the store but had some andouille chicken sausage that I diced up and threw in there, so yummy. Your recipes never disappoint!
Andrea 01.06.2014
Made this on Sunday night & the fiancé loved it! It was a tad spicy for me, but delicious nonetheless! Also tastes delicious reheated. Thanks for sharing. I’ve just stumbled onto your website, but have already printed 5 more recipes to try!
Heather 01.06.2014
Ok, I know this is sacrilege, but if you were to make this vegetarian, would you get the veggies going in oil? Butter?
Iowa Girl Eats 01.06.2014
No worries! I’d definitely use butter.
Heather 01.10.2014
Made with butter and Vermont White Cheddar and was DELISHHHHHHHHH!
Diana 01.05.2014
I made this last night for dinner and it was outstanding. I love how easy your recipes are to follow, and they always turn out great. Tonight we are making Ben’s beef stew!
Susan 01.04.2014
Oh, my gosh! Just finished my second bowl of this fabulous, hearty soup! I used pre-diced celery & onion, and pre-packaged finely shredded cheese (which melted just fine) to make it even easier. Thanks so much for this delicious recipe!
Joanna 01.03.2014
As soon as I saw this recipe I knew it would be perfect for a cold, wintery day. I made it tonight and it was one of the most hearty, filling soups I’ve had. Absolutely delicious!
Anikka 01.02.2014
My fiance loves spicy pepper jack so we’ve learned that letting the cheese “age” in our fridge to near the expiration date (or slightly past it….) makes it spicier. Well this soup made with our aged pepper jack packed some punch! Still good. Next time I’ll use less red pepper and non-aged pepper jack ; )
Great recipe!
Lisa 01.02.2014
Delish – loved it!! However, what’s the trick to reheating it? The cheese clumped together pretty badly on night two while reheating it. I want to make sure it doesn’t happen the next time.
Iowa Girl Eats 01.03.2014
I actually don’t have a ton of luck re-heating milk/cheese based soups (same with freezing them!)
Stephany 01.02.2014
I have a bunch of leftover ham – can I substitute some of the bacon with ham?
Iowa Girl Eats 01.03.2014
Totally – that’d be delicious!
Sharron 01.02.2014
I’m with Emily and Kari on not discarding bacon grease [at least not ALL of it]. I use a small super fine stainless-steel mesh strainer [to keep out all those wee brown bits and leave me with pure almost-white bacon grease]. It’s amazing how just a small dollop on hot steamed green beans makes all the difference!
Kathleen 01.01.2014
This was beyond delicious! Even tastier than the picture made it look, if that is possible :)
Kari 01.01.2014
I love your blog, delicious recipes and adorable son, but you also have my sympathy for knowing how to throw away bacon grease. All good Southern cooks have a can or dish where we keep our treasured drippings to use as seasoning in many wonderful dishes like collard greens, blackeyed peas and fantastic biscuits.
We don’t get much cold weather here either, but I will definitely be trying this soup as soon as it drops below 65. :)
Anne [A Squared] 12.31.2013
Love the spicy twist on this soup recipe– my hubby will love it!
Melanie @ Carmel Moments 12.31.2013
Whoa girl! That looks amazing! Can’t wait to try it but they may have to wait til February. Diet begins….like now. :(
Kim 12.31.2013
This looks amazing! pinned, printed & hoping to be a way I can get the hubby to eat potato soup! Thanks for sharing!
Michelle Ayers 12.31.2013
I made this last night and it was amazing! Beware of how spicy your pepper jack cheese is though, I bought really spicy cheese, so I didn’t need to add red pepper flakes! Also, THANK YOU for the bacon grease tip, I’m always searching for something disposable to pour the grease in! I have made so many of your recipes, they are all awesome so, thank you for sharing and Happy New Year!
Kelly Mitchem 12.30.2013
This sounds amazing, I don’t know why I have never thought to do pepper jack as the cheese but I will bet it is divine!
I can’t wait to try it!