Crab and Corn Chowder

Russell and I have a beautiful kitty named Bailey. If you know me personally, you know that Bailey means the world to me. I always say that he is going to live until I am at least 70. We believe he is part Maine Coon and I am certain he is one of the softest kitties anywhere. Bailey has quite the personality, he greets new people at the door, carries his favorite toy (his green monkey) around with him everywhere, and loves to watch the birds. Most nights he sleeps with us at the end of the bed and greets us in the morning. He is truly one of the best cats.

Bailey as a kitten being mischievous

My sister and I adopted him while we were in college. Instead of selling pets, a local pet store adopted pets out from the local humane shelter. We got him when he was 9 weeks old and he had a rough first few days, so rough that we were told he might not make it. Luckily, being the strong-willed kitty that he is, he is still with us today.

Bailey’s belly fur and Bailey with his green monkey (pictures taken with cell phone)

Branny over at Branny Boils Over is hosting a charity event called the SOUPer Bowl to help raise money for the ASPCA. I met Branny almost a year ago at BlogHer Food and in addition to being such a kind and genuine person, she is a true lover of furry friends (as my husband and I say). I am dedicating this crab and corn chowder to my favorite kitty Bailey for this Souper Bowl.

Whenever Russell and I go out for seafood the first thing I look for on the menu is crab. I think I could eat crab everyday and never get tired of it. When I first came across this recipe, I knew it would be wonderful. This crab and corn chowder is creamy, decadent, and so easy to make. It has the perfect amount of crab meat and the Old Bay seasoning is spot on. The corn at my grocery store did not look very good so I used frozen corn instead. The chowder still turned out great, but I can only imagine how wonderful it would be with fresh corn.

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Ingredients:

• 4-6 bacon slices, cooked and chopped, grease reserved
• 1 orange bell pepper, diced
• 1/2 yellow onion, diced
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 3 cups fresh or frozen corn
• 2 teaspoons Old Bay
• 1/2 pound lump crab meat, picked free of any shells
• 1 cup half and half
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• salt to taste

Directions:

Using the reserved bacon grease, in a large pot or dutch oven, saute the bell pepper and onion until tender.

Whisk together broth, Old Bay seasoning, and flour until smooth. Add to pot and stir in corn. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to a simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Stir in crab meat, half and half, salt, and pepper. Cook for an additional 3-5 minutes, until thoroughly heated. Serve with crumbled bacon on top. Sprinkle Old Bay on top, if desired.

Source: As seen on So Tasty, So Yummy, originally adapted by Our Share of the Harvest from Southern Living

“Soft kitty, warm kitty, little ball of fur. Happy kitty, sleepy kitty. Purr, purr, purr.” --The Big Bang Theory