Friends, I am having major anxiety. Now that we have our own place and I can decorate how I want, I’m having a case of the struggles. I visited a store they built close to my work called At Home, a home decor superstore. OH. MY. HEAVENS. I wanted everything in the store. I wanted to throw my goal to get completely out of debt out the window and max out my credit card to buy all the cute accessories, tables, wall art, etc. But I refrained. And now I’m trying to figure out what exactly my style is. Needless to say, browsing HGTV’s website for ideas has jumped to the top of my To-Do list.
Whatever style I decide to embrace, one thing’s for sure. I do need more fall decor because ohmigosh it is here, people. And we all know what fall means. Soup and yummy comfort food. Like this Chunky Ranch Chicken Chowder. And to be honest, I really wanted to call it Chunky Chicken Chowder because it has such a nice ring to it. But the addition of Ranch seasoning imparts such a tremendously amazing flavor that I had to call it out in the name.
This soup is the ultimate hearty, delicious, and creamy fall soup. If fall were a show, this soup would be the snobby, overpaid A-lister. It’s chock full of red potatoes, carrots, corn, chicken, cheese, and oh BACON on top. And the Ranch seasoning freaking knocks it out of the park. Best part? It’s an easy one-pot meal you can whip it up in 30 minutes!
- 6 bacon strips, cooked and chopped (I cooked mine in the microwave for 7 minutes)
- 2 Tbsp canola oil
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 15 baby carrots or 3 regular carrots, sliced into uniform pieces
- 5 medium red potatoes, cut into uniform cubes
- 1-1/2 cups water
- 2-1/2 tsp chicken bouillon powder or granules
- 1 packet Ranch seasoning
- 2-1/2 Tbsp flour
- ½ cup cold water
- 3 cups milk
- 1 can corn kernels, drained
- ¼ tsp pepper
- 2 cups cubed, cooked chicken
- 1-1/2 cups shredded cheddar
- In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat canola oil. Add onion, carrots, and potatoes and saute until onions are translucent, about 4 minutes.
- Add the 1-1/2 cups water, chicken bouillon, and Ranch seasoning and stir to combine. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until veggies are almost tender, about 12 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the flour and ½ cup cold water. Stir until smooth and set aside.
- Add the milk, corn, pepper, and chicken to the veggie pan and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Whisk in the flour/water mixture and stir until thickened, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in cheese. Serve with additional cheese and bacon sprinkled on top.
