Chicken Corn Chowder with Rice

Chicken Corn Chowder with Rice
*and homemade No Knead Bread

Ingredients:
4 tbs butter
4 tbs all purpose flour
4 cups of milk
2 boneless, skinless cooked chicken breasts, cubed  *or 1 pint pressure canned boneless chicken
1-2 cups cooked rice *wild rice or brown rice works if you are going to freeze
1 can of corn, *or 1 half pint of pressure canned corn 
1 large onion, chopped
1 small red bell pepper, diced

seasonings to taste: 
salt & pepper 
1 Tbs sweet basil
1-2 Tbs chives
1/2 Tbs parsley 
*hot sauce, optional
*1-2 Tbs Better then Bullion Chicken paste, optional

Instructions:
Start by making a roux in a large stock pot. 
Melt butter over medium heat.
Once melted, add chopped onions & diced bell pepper and cook until onions are translucent (approx 10 mins) Add flour and stir vigorously using a whisk. Cook the flour/onion/peppers mixture for about 1 minute. The flour will start to brown. 

Slowly begin to add your milk *warmed in a microwave to get the chill off milk, this will speed up incorporating it into soup without lumps.  Whisk in milk, 2 cups at a time. Making sure you eliminate any lumps.  

Add your seasonings and taste as you go. Bring soup up to a boil, then reduce to low simmer (stirring constantly) Add in corn and chicken. Adjust any seasonings. 
Simmer on low until hot and ready, usually about 15 minutes.

Recipe Note:  I cook 2 cups of rice in chicken broth - this ensures I've made more then enough rice for eveyrones' tastes but, won't take over and thicken up the soup in its pot...I serve the rice on the side with this soup, people can add in as much or as little rice as they like. Any leftover rice and be used to make fried rice the next day too - BONUS! 
I also cut my no knead bread (click here for recipe) up into manageable pieces so everyone can dunk into the soup. 
~Enjoy!

​Recipe & Photos by: Diane Baker for Canning and Cooking at Home