I wanted to do something special in remembrance of her here on Cheap Recipe Blog. After all, she was the #1 supporter of my blog (and all of my creative endeavors), continually encouraging me, sharing my recipes with her Facebook friends, buying me food photo props she would find at thrift shops, and being the historical reference for some of the old family recipes I’ve shared on here.

She was my biggest cheerleader.

And I would give anything to make her one more meal.

If I had that opportunity, I would ask her what she wanted the meal to be – absolutely anything – and I would make it for her. I’m almost certain she would request a really good corn chowder. (Second only to a good clam chowder “without potato chunks” or Norwegian potato dumplings).

But before we dive into the recipe for cheesy corn and bacon chowder, I want to tell you a little bit more about my mom.

The first thing I’d like to say about my mom Violet – the trait that really sums her up the best, from the perspective of her daughter – is that she just loved being a mom. Her life revolved around loving her three kids.

Growing up, she would sew us parade and Halloween costumes. Later in life, she started sewing costumes for my cat for a pet Halloween photo contest. She would throw us elaborate birthday parties that were highly anticipated among our friend groups.

Just a couple of years ago, she decided to start a “Surprise of the Month” club for me and my brothers, where she would send a fun surprise in the mail every month (a little gift, a lottery ticket, a gift card) – just for the fun of it. It was as fun for her to send it as it was for us to receive it.

Creativity

My mom was creative to the core. Throughout her life she was into painting, sewing, arts and crafts. She wrote weekly stories for our local newspaper for 20+ years. There was no ordinary with her. Everything she touched – everything she did – displayed the creativity God abundantly blessed her with.

Fun – All Of The Time

My mom loved having fun. That sounds so simple – so common – but for her it wasn’t occasional. It was all the time. She was always up for a golf cart ride around our small hometown, always game to check out a new coffee shop or restaurant, always plotting some little prank. She went on road trips just because. She laughed easily and often. She had this gift for making an ordinary Tuesday fun and interesting. I think some people wait for life to get fun. My mom made every day fun.

My Prayer Warrior

The degree to which growing up with loving parents and grandparents has benefited me is not lost on me. And I often wonder how much the prayers of my mom and grandma, in particular, have affected my life.

My mom was my prayer warrior. I’ve dealt with some bigger challenges in life and I could always count on my mom to not only pray for me, but to tap her greater friend circle to also pray for me.

And you know what? Despite the tougher challenges I’ve faced in life, things have always worked out for the good. I give glory to God for that. But I also believe that He heard every one of my mom’s prayers.

The Gift Of Noticing

One of the things I admired most about my mom was the way she noticed people. Not the loudest person in the room – the quietest. The kid getting left out. The person nobody else thought to include. She had a radar for the overlooked, and when she found them, she made them feel seen.

I think this gift came from her own childhood. She was picked on as a kid, and rather than letting that make her hard, she let it make her kind. To the core. She took that pain and turned it into a superpower.

What I Miss The Most

If I’m being honest, what I miss most aren’t the big things. It’s the moments when something happens – good, bad, frustrating, funny – and my first instinct is still to call her. Because she always got me. She understood how I thought, what I needed to hear, and when to just listen. She just made everything better.

There are so many conversations I still want to have with her. 

So here is what I can do. I can make her favorite food, on the day we set aside to honor moms, and I can think about her the whole time. And I can share her with you, in this special little way.

This cheesy corn and bacon chowder isn’t her recipe — she didn’t leave me this one. It’s mine, made in her honor, because corn chowder was her favorite thing to eat and this is the closest I can get to sitting across the table from her again.

I hope you’ll make it for someone you love.

And if you’re missing someone this Mother’s Day – I see you. My mom would have too.

About The Recipe: Cheesy Corn And Bacon Chowder

If you like corn chowder, you’re going to love this particular recipe because I cut no corners in making it the most delicious corn chowder ever – in honor of my mom.

This cheesy corn and bacon chowder is many things:

The Process

Scroll down for detailed recipe for cheesy corn and bacon chowder, but here’s the process, in a nutshell:

• Cut bacon into bite-sized pieces and cook until very crispy
• Set bacon aside
• Cook onions, carrots, and celery in bacon grease and butter
• Add frozen corn, cream style corn, chicken broth, cream, cream cheese, apple cider vinegar, garlic powder & sugar
• Simmer; add cheese before serving and top with more cheese, bacon bits, and green onions to serve

This One’s For You, Mom

Continue to Content

Cheesy Corn And Bacon Chowder

Yield: 8 servings

Prep Time: 25 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

You can substitute 32 oz. chicken broth or chicken stock in lieu of the water + Better Than Bouillon chicken base.

Print

Ingredients

• 1 lb. bacon, cut into small pieces
• 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 carrots, diced
• 2 celery stalks, diced
• 2 tablespoons Better Than Bouillon chicken base
• 4 cups water
• 10 oz. bag whole kernel corn, frozen
• 14.5 oz can cream style corn
• 4 oz cream cheese
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar , (optional, but exactly how my mom liked it)
• 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
• Chopped green onions, for topping

Instructions

1. In a large soup pot or dutch oven, cook bacon over medium-high heat until very crispy. Remove bacon and set on a plate lined with a paper towel to absorb extra grease. Keep bacon grease in pot
2. Add onions and butter to pot and cook over medium heat until onions begin to soften. Add carrot and celery, stirring and cooking for 3 to 4 minutes.
3. Next, add the water + Better Than Bouillon (or chicken broth), frozen corn, cream style corn, cream cheese, and heavy whipping cream. Stir in garlic powder, apple cider vinegar, and sugar (if using). Season with salt and pepper and adjust seasonings, if desired.
4. Simmer for 10 minutes to allow flavors to meld. Before serving, stir in the cheddar cheese (reserve a bit for topping).
5. To serve, top soup generously with bacon bits, cheddar cheese, and chopped green onion.

Did you like this recipe?

Please give it a 5-star review on the recipe card above!