I Make This Ina Garten Soup the Moment It Gets Cold Outside—It’s My Favorite

Growing up in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, I loved my school bus driver, John Kneisly, aka the kindest, most patient person in the world. Just once, he stood up to address what was essentially a children’s WWE “battle royale” in the back seats of bus #28 with the stern but gentle, “Now, kids, we’re gonna have to quiet down a bit.” And he never forgot to bring us ice-cold popsicles in an Igloo cooler on the blazing hot, last day of school.

Along with the thankless job of basically shuttling “Goonies” extras around town, he also ran a working farm with his River Brethren family. Similar to the Amish, they’re essential to Lancaster County culture, and equally famous for horse-drawn buggies and roadside farm stands packed with seasonal produce straight outta the field. “Farm-to-table” gets all the hype, but “farm-to-back-of-1980s-Dodge-station-wagon” was my family’s jam.

And of all the pumpkins, squash, berries, beans, and tomatoes we were lucky to taste at their peak, I was living for the sweet corn. How a vegetable that looks like teeth can taste like candy, I’ll never know (and it’s gotten even sweeter over the years!), but I’m team corn-on-the-cob for life.

I love a comforting, stewy soup, and Ina Garten’s Cheddar Corn Chowder does not disappoint! Each spoonful tastes so satisfyingly starchy, cheesy, and peppery, with corn that’s bursting with a honey-like sweetness. I would tell you what my boyfriend and I thought of it, but I can’t translate the sacred silence as we scooped up every last drop.

I’m so glad Ina’s recipe makes enough for a small army—I get to share it with friends, freeze the extras, and take myself to corn chowder church any day of the week. Got an hour? You’ve got dinner on the table.

How I Make Ina Garten Cheddar Corn Chowder

I used my largest stockpot and added the olive oil before cooking the bacon until it turned crispy. I removed the bacon and cooked the diced onions in butter and the remaining bacon fat. When the onions softened, I stirred in the flour and seasonings. Then I added the store-bought chicken stock and diced potatoes, brought everything to a boil, and simmered for 15 to 30 minutes, until I could mash a potato with a fork.

Finally, I stirred in the frozen corn, half-and-half, and shredded cheddar cheese, cooked it for a few more minutes, and served it hot with plenty of bacon crumbles on top.

I like my chowder thick, so I used eight cups of chicken stock instead of Ina’s 12 cups. I also doubled the salt, pepper, and ground turmeric. And before I added the corn, I crushed some of the potatoes for extra creaminess. 

I may be “farm-to-table-ing” my corn from the freezer aisle, but Ina’s cozy corn chowder feels like fresh-shucked sweet corn, cream, and potatoes from my favorite bus driver’s farm.