Slow Cooker New England Clam Chowder
had made New England clam soup once before in the pot sometime last year. I wanted to try again as not only had I not been blogging at the time, doing it again would allow me to take photos and share them, but also to be able to make some adjustments.
The recipe I used the first time was very basic and, frankly, a totally tricky recipe. I hadn’t thought much about it at the time, but looking back I realize how fake that recipe was. It demanded everything canned. I’m not kidding. I’m not complaining about the prepackaged ingredients if it’s a few per recipe, but that required canned soup, canned cream from this and that. I would certainly expect the result to be at least relatively tasty, since you’re using items that a company has already prepared for you, and it was, but it wasn’t made at home yet. I am pleased to know that I can do something myself. I’m not talking about milking a cow and making my own cream, or anything like that… Just doing something with a little more love. The other drawback of that early recipe was the lack of thickness. Clam chowder or at least the New England variety is supposed to be thick and creamy. The other clam soup that some may be familiar with is Manhattan clam chowder, which isn’t that thick and requires tomatoes, among other things. They have few similarities and in the big picture they are drastically different.
I decided to dig around and get an idea of what the recipes were asking for so I could decide my action plan. Lots of potatoes, vegetables and other wonderful flavorings. In the end, this variety was not only much thicker and creamier, but it was also much more from scratch… out of me catching the clams, growing the vegetables, making my cream, etc. Sure, they’re store-bought items, but they don’t all come from cans, which made me happy. I only share recipes that I think are worth sharing and that I believe someone else can love, but believe me when I say, this is a winner in the clam chowder world. If you are a fan of it, you should definitely try this easy slow cooker recipe. It is thick and creamy just like New England clam chowder and tastes wonderful. No part is too powerful, everything works well with each other.
And for those with cats, if you don’t normally have visitors to the kitchen while cooking… You will do it while doing this. Normally, my cat (the one of the two we actually see) doesn’t hang out with me in the kitchen, but he was stalking my ingredients the whole time… asking for a flavor. It was pretty comical. He didn’t even care when our one-year-old son tried to give him hugs.
*This recipe has been slightly adjusted from the original to ensure better results. Please make sure to follow the recipe accordingly. Also, if this is your first time making this or any other slow cooker recipe, I recommend being home while cooking so you can monitor it and ensure your desired results.
