Chowder from The Common Grill

Hubby and I refer to this soup at Thanksgiving in a Bowl.

Smoked chicken, Sweet Potato, & Corn Chowder

is a favorite recipe from

The Common Grill Cookbook

by Chef Gregg Common, chef/owner of The Common Grill in Chelsea, MI

It is a hearty, flavorful combination of Thanksgiving dinner flavors.

I just made a big pot for later in the week when schedules are hectic. I shared some with a neighbor recovering from surgery and another elderly neighbor lady.

recipe at the end of this post

The Common Grill Cookbook was a Christmas gift to me in 2000.

It is among my favorite cookbooks. I love the Chicken Tortilla Soup, Asian Chicken Salad, Whipped Sweet Potatoes, Hazelnut & Mustard Seed Crusted Black Grouper with Spiced Rum Butter Sauce for examples.

Greg's restaurant, The Common Grill, is a family favorite. No one can resist the baskets of aromatic, buttery, herb rolls.

"The Grill" is housed in a former department store in downtown Chelsea, MI (home to Chelsea Milling, maker of Jiffy Mix and to Jeff Daniel's Purple Rose Theater).

Soup recipe (with some modification by me)

6 strips of bacon (don't you love it already?) chopped fine

1 large Spanish onion, diced

1/4 cup butter

1 teaspoon fresh basil, chopped

1 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped

1/4 cup flour

4 ears corn, sliced from the cob

1 red pepper, diced

1 lb sweet potato, diced and blanched

1 cup water

6 cups chicken stock

2 lbs smoke chicken or turkey, cut into bite sized cubes

1 1/2 cups whole milk

salt to taste, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Cook bacon in large soup pot until crispy. Add onion butter, basil and thyme. Cook until onion is soft, approximately 5 minutes. Stir in corn, red pepper and sweet potato and saute for 5 minutes. Add flour and mix well. Add water, stock and chicken or turkey and bring to a boil. Stir in milk, salt and pepper. Continue cooking until soup has thickened.

Serve hot. Makes 2 qts.