Talk about simple weeknight cooking! If you follow the recipe from Food Network to a T, this dish shouldn’t realistically take more thank 40 minutes.  I couldn’t find any frozen potatoes, so I used real ones, cut them up, and boiled them until tender.  Either way is fine and produces a delicious and comforting meal that everyone will enjoy.  ALSO, and this is super important: Do not skip over the step where you blend about 1/3 of the soup and re–add in back into the chowder.  It is essential for making a creamy, thick chowder that have put Boston on the chowder map (if there is such a thing, and I hope there is).

Ingredients:

1 lb shrimp [$8, on sale!]

1 quart whole milk [$3]

celery [$2]

potatoes (frozen and cubed or fresh) [$3]

1 small package frozen corn [$1.50]

seasonings (I had these on hand):Flour, Salt, pepper, fresh thyme, paprika (for the end)

Directions:

If using fresh potatoes, cut and boil them until mostly tender. If using frozen, just continue on with the recipe.

Melt some butter in a large pot and add sliced celery, the boiled potatoes, and the frozen corn.  Add the seasonings (minus the paprika) and simmer for a few minutes.  Add a few tablespoons of flour to the mixture and stir until incorporated. Add the milk and bring to a boil, covered, for about 10 minutes or so.

When all the veggies are tender and ready to go, puree 1/3 of the mixture in a blender until mostly smooth (use your best judgement) and return to the pot.  Add the shrimp (which should be peeled and such for easier chowder enjoyment). Simmer until the shrimp is cooked, about 4 minutes, and serve with a sprinkle of paprika on top. Yum.

A quick Monday night meal that will leave all satisfied.

-L