Potato and Chipotle Chowder...and a Thank You

First off, I would like to say thank you, from the bottom of my heart, to all the military men and women who have served and are still serving at this time.  Thank you for all that you do to protect our freedoms.  Thank you for the sacrifices you have made so that I have the freedom to express ALL of my thoughts and feelings right here on this blog.  Thank you to all the families of our military, also, as you too make extreme sacrifices for our freedoms.  Most of all, on this Veterans day, I want to thank my dad for the time that he served this country.  He is an amazing man....a man of few words....a man of great strength and courage...he is my hero.  So thank you - to all of you - I am proud to say that I am an American, and I owe so much of that to you!

As my tribute to Veterans on this day, I'm going to share an amazingly easy and delicious recipe with you.  I found this comforting soup on Andrea the Kitchen Witch's site.  Let me tell you, that witch can conjure up some amazing creations in her kitchen and this soup is no exception.  As Chris put it... "this is so good, I could drink it"  Honestly, that's how good it was, spooning it into your mouth just didn't get that deliciousness into your mouth fast enough!  Ok, ok, so I have a thing with chipotles, so you know I'm going to be an immediate fan of it....but still, I speak the truth:  This soup is a must try.  It's smokey, cheesy, creamy goodness will leave you satisfied and definitely wanting more!!!

And, if you think this recipe was a hit...stop by Andrea's site and see what else she's got cooking over there.  I know she had a post for Pot de Creme au chocolat the other day that I can't WAIT to try!!

Potato and Chipotle Chowder
Adapted from Andrea The Kitchen Witch
Printable Recipe 
Ingredients:
2 green chilies
2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, finely minced
1 Tablespoon adobo sauce
1/2 small onion, finely diced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
4 small yellow potatoes or 2 large Russet potatoes, diced
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
4 cups chicken stock
1 chicken breast, cooked and diced (optional)
1/2 cup milk
4 oz shredded cheddar cheese (I used mild cheddar)
salt and pepper

Directions:
Roast the green chilies on a grill or in the oven under the broiler until they are blacked and blistered.  Place in plastic bag and let sit for 5 minutes.  Once the chilies have cooled off a bit, peel them, remove the stems and seeds, and finely dice.

In a large soup pot or dutch oven, over medium heat, melt the butter.  Add the onion and saute for about 5 minutes.  Add the garlic and cook 1 more minute.  Now add the flour and whisk well to incorporate.  It will be dry and that is ok.  SLOWLY (now this is very important...go slowly) whisk in the chicken stock about 1/2 cup at a time.  The first addition will make a thick paste, each addition will smooth it out, whisk constantly to avoid lumps.

Add the potatoes, chilies, and chipotles to the pot and stir to incorporate.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes.  Once the potatoes are tender and cooked through, use a submersible blender and pulse a few times.  You are looking for it to be smooth and thicker, but you still want to leave a few potato chunks in there, so don't puree it. (if you want to skip this part, by all means go ahead)  Add the diced chicken and then slowly stir in the milk.  Now, add the cheese and stir until it has melted and is well combined.  Season again with salt and pepper, if needed......and Enjoy!