Updated with WW Personal Points on 8//11/22
I think Fall is officially “soup” season. And what better creamy soup or delicious chowder to make than this fantastic easy and Healthy Chicken Corn Chowder recipe.
Honestly, I took the Pioneer Woman’s Corn Chowder with Chilies recipe and jazzed it up by making it into a protein packed chowder by adding chicken. And because I like BIG servings of food, I made this Chicken Corn Chowder recipe healthy by omitting the bacon grease, fatty bacon drippings and cream cheese that a lot of corn chowder recipes call for.
Yet another way I made this great chowder recipe healthier, was instead of using heavy cream like many chicken corn chowder recipes suggest, this recipe uses fat free half and half which gives the chowder the same creamy delicious flavor but way less calories. And if you are following WW (Weight Watchers) using fat free half and half instead of heavy cream – well, it is less SmartPoints and calories per serving.
Also I decided to not melt butter or use olive oil to saute the vegetables. You can simply use butter flavored vegetable cooking spray instead which makes this Healthy Chicken Corn Chowder just as tasty.
RELATED:Â 29 Healthy Soup and Chowder Recipes
This hearty soup is a great way to use leftover cooked chicken breast or store bought rotisserie chicken instead of raw chicken. For this recipe, I use frozen cooked grilled chicken strips – what could be easier?
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Hamilton Beach Bread Maker with Kneading Paddle
PIN FOR LATERÂ
How to Make Healthy Chicken Corn Chowder
- 4 Cups of Frozen Corn (Defrosted), or Fresh Sweet Corn
- 2 Slices of Cooked Crispy Bacon (I used Turkey) (Diced)
- 10 Ounces of Cooked Grilled Chicken Breast (I used Tyson) (Diced into small chunks of chicken)
- 3 Chipotle Peppers in Adobo sauce (Diced)
- 1 Red Onion, Diced Small
- 1 Red Bell Pepper, Diced Small
- 4 Cups of Chicken Stock or Fat Free Chicken Broth
- 1.5 Cups of Fat Free Half & Half
- 3 Tablespoons of Cornmeal
- ¼ Cup of Water
- Salt & Fresh Cracked Black Pepper to taste
- Vegetable Cooking Spray
- Green Onions, Diced (Optional)
- Fresh Snipped Parsley (Optional)
- Spray a large saucepan, large stock pot or Dutch oven with vegetable cooking spray and place over medium-high heat. Add in the diced red onion and red pepper. Cook until soft. If the vegetables begin to stick to the pot, add in additional chicken broth or water.
- Add diced chipotle peppers, cooked diced bacon and corn.
- Again, add some chicken broth or water if they are sticking. When everything is mixed and warmed, add remaining chicken broth and the fat free half and half.
- Let soup simmer for about 30 minutes over medium-low heat.
- In a bowl stir cornmeal and ¼ cup of water together. Add into pot with cooked grilled chicken strips. Simmer for about 10 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Before serving, add diced green onions and fresh snipped parsley on top if using.
- This makes 4 servings at 1.5 cups per serving. On the WW Personal Points Plan, each serving will range from 4-9 PP depending on your choice of 0 Point Foods. On the Blue and Purple Plans, it is 4 SmartPoints per serving. On the Green Plan it is 8 SmartPoints per serving. Enjoy!
This is one of my favorite hearty chowders to serve at Thanksgiving or at a get together.
How to keep this healthy Chicken Corn Chowder warm for serving to a crowd
- Simply make this Healthy Chicken Corn Chowder beforehand and leave it on the stove in a large soup pot with a tight fitting lid. Give it a quick stir before serving.
- Pour the already made Chicken Corn Chowder in an Instant Pot and push the “Keep Warm” button.
- Keep it warm in a slow cooker or crock pot for easy serving.
SUBSTITUTIONS AND ADDITIONAL INGREDIENTS TO USE IN THIS Healthy Chicken Corn Chowder RECIPE
- Next time I plan to add both green and red bell peppers for added nutrition.
- Substitute green chilies for the chipotle peppers.
- Substitute the cornmeal slurry for a cornstarch slurry.
- Add in a dash or two (or three or four) of Worcestershire Sauce.
- To make this easy Chicken Corn Chowder recipe more “calorie friendly” substitute almond milk for the fat free half and half.
- You can stretch this Chicken Corn Chowder even further by adding additional cups chicken broth and adding in red potatoes or sweet potatoes (diced small) and cooked until they are the perfect texture. You can keep the potatoes diced or use a potato masher to mash them for an even thicker Chicken Corn Chowder. Give it a good stir before serving.
- To get more vegetables into your diet, add in an extra cup celery or cup onion (diced).
- You can substitute boneless cooked chicken thighs in place of the chicken breast.
- For a bit of a kick you can add in a little bit of chili powder. You can also add in a bay leaf while the Chicken Corn Chowder is cooking. Remove the bay leaf with a slotted spoon before serving.
- You can add in a tablespoon of sour cream, fat free sour cream or Greek Yogurt on top before serving.
- Adding some shredded cheddar cheese on top before serving is delicious too.
- Kids will love adding tortilla chips or bacon bits on top of the Chicken Corn Chowder as well.
- You can substitute leftover cooked turkey breast, ham or even shrimp for the chicken. Or you can simply omit the meat all together.
Does this Healthy Chicken Corn Chowder freeze well?
I have to say from experience that any milk based soups DO NOT freeze well. They have a tendency to separate when defrosted. However you can make this Healthy Chicken Corn Chowder earlier in the day and place it into a crock pot/slow cooker and turning on the “keep warm” setting until dinner.
If you are making this Chicken Corn Chowder for a delicious dinner, simply double the recipe or increase the serving size and add some crusty bread to enjoy with it.
Speaking of breads, below is my all time favorite bread recipe to enjoy with this chowder. This Squishy Bread actually lives up to its name too. It’s so soft, fluffy and delicious and pairs perfectly with this Chicken Corn Chowder.
Squishy Bread Recipe
- 3 Cups of Bread Flour OR All Purpose Flour
- ¾ Teaspoon of Table Salt
- ⅓ Cup of Sugar
- 2¼ Teaspoons of Active Dry Yeast
- 1 cup of Warm Water
- 2 Tablespoons of Oil (Corn, Canola, or Vegetable)
- Extra Flour for kneading
- Parchment Paper (for baking)
- Put the ingredients in your bread machine in order that your bread machine says to do so. In my bread machine, I put all liquid in first, then dry ingredients ending with yeast on top. Start machine on dough setting.
- Once kneading is done, you can take out the dough and place in a container in a warm spot to rise to double in size. Cover with plastic wrap.
- Once doubled, put dough on floured counter top and knead into a loaf shape and place in bread pan lined with parchment paper. Put plastic wrap on top and let rise again until dough is about 1 inch above bread pan.
- Preheat oven to 350.
- Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 25 minutes or until inserting a skewer or butter knife comes out clean.
- Let cool for 5 minutes in pan, then remove bread and place on a cooling rack until cool.
- Using a bread knife, cut into 10 slices. On the Blue, Green and Purple WW Plans, 1 slice is 6 SmartPoints.
I hope you enjoy this easy Healthy Chicken Corn Chowder recipe. I know it will become one of your favorite comfort food recipes .
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