Savory Clam Chowder

My savory Clam Chowder soup is the perfect spooky weeknight dinner for Halloween! Just dress it up with some black olive eyes and mouth to make a spooky face.

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First of all let me say I have been craving some clam chowder for weeks now, I was just waiting for some cooler weather to get here. My savory Clam Chowder soup is the perfect spooky weeknight dinner and is perfect for your spook-tacular Halloween too! Just add a some black olive eyes and mouth to make your own ghost or jack o ‘lantern, crescent roll toppings can be a mummy or crumble up bacon for scabby looking zombies. While my savory clam chowder recipe is traditionally made with apple wood smoked bacon, you can easily omit this ingredient to make it a great Pescetarian meal too. It also holds beautifully covered  on the stove top while you answer the door during trick or treat on Halloween night. So ‘cue up a haunting good movie, light up your jack lanterns and get your candy bowls ready.

For this recipe you will want to start by sauteing up your rough chopped onions, carrots, celery and garlic in 4 tbsp of butter for 5 minutes. If you are using bacon drippings, which adds more flavor, you will want to omit the half the butter and simply saute your bacon first, then utilize the bacon grease for this step. I personally bake my bacon in the oven on a rack.

Next, stir in your hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and dry spices cook for 1-2 minutes. Take 2 Tbls of luke warm water and whisk flour into a slurry, if to thick add 1 more Tbsp of water. Add the flour mixture into pot, followed by your chicken stock, half and half, drained clam juices (reserving the clams to add at the end), and add in a Bay leaf. Bring to a gentle boil add in your diced potatoes reduce to simmer for 20-25 minutes, until potatoes are fork tender.

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5 from 16 votes

Savory Clam Chowder

Course Appetizer, Lunch, Main Course, Soup

Cuisine Soul, Southern

Keyword appetizer, Bacon, Bowls, Chowder, seafood, Soup, Vidalia Onion

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 hour hour

Servings 8 people

Calories 280kcal

Author Jennifer Gainer

Ingredients

• 8 strips thick cut Applewood Bacon
• 4 tbsp butter
• 1 medium onion
• 2 ribs celery
• 1 medium carrot
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 tsp hot sauce Cholula
• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce Lea & Perrins
• 1 cup Chicken broth
• 1/3 cup flour
• 1 Bay leaf
• 1 tbsp Knorrs Chicken Bouillon Powder
• 1 tbsp Mrs Dash Italian
• 1 tbsp Old Bay
• 1 tsp Smoked Paprika
• 3 cups Half & Half
• 1 1/4 lbs Yukon Gold Potatoes
• 3 6.5 oz cans Bar Harbor Clams separate juice and retain

Cracked Pepper & Fresh Parsley to taste

Instructions

• Start by sauteing up your rough chopped onions, carrots, celery and garlic in 4 tbsp of butter for 5 minutes.
• Next, stir in your hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and dry spices cook for 1-2 minutes.
• Take 2 Tbls of luke warm water and whisk flour into a slurry, if to thick add 1 more Tbsp of water.
• Add the flour mixture into pot, followed by your chicken stock, half and half, drained clam juices (reserving the clams to add at the end), and add in a Bay leaf.
• Bring to a gentle boil add in your diced potatoes reduce to simmer for 20-25 minutes, until potatoes are fork tender.
• Finally stir in your clams and allow them to cook for 5 -7 minutes. You do not want to over cook them where they get gummy and chewy.
• Remove your Bay Leaf. Now you can ladle up your chowder and garnish with chopped bacon, cracked pepper or even fresh parsley.

Finally stir in your previously drained clams and allow them to warm up for 5 minutes. You do not want to over cook them where they get gummy and chewy. Remove your Bay Leaf at this point too. Now you ladle up your chowder and garnish with chopped bacon, cracked pepper or fresh parsley. We even get mini oyster crackers to make it hearty, but we love to make a homemade version of Garlic Cheddar Bay cheese biscuits or my even homemade Peach Muffins to serve with this soup. Just depends on if you like sweet or savory biscuits.

I hope you enjoyed this little gem from our family recipe box to yours. Be sure to sign up for future recipe cards for to fill up your recipe box, just sign up for our Email updates at this link!

If you loved this soup recipe, and want to see more like it for the fall; check out these great options:

Easy Black Bean Soup

Butternut Squash Soup

Hearty Red Bean & Beef Chili

Southwestern Chicken Chili

12 Great Soup Recipes

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