Creamy Corn Chowder With Cheese Biscuits

CHEESE BISCUITS
2 c Sifted all-purpose flour
3 ts Baking powder
1/2 ts Salt
3/4 c Shredded cheddar cheese
1/3 c Vegetable shortening
3/4 c Milk

From the “McCalls Cooking School Cookbook” (c)1985

A Hearty New England Corn Chowder Chowders are thick and chunky soups that
always contain potatoes, cream, and salt pork or bacon. We have used all
these except the cream in our *Creamy Corn Chowder*. We suggest using milk
so that calories are reduced but, if you want to be extravagant, go ahead
and use half-and-half! Serve this meal-in-a-bowl with our hot *Cheese
Biscuits* and a salad– you’ll have plenty to satisfy the heartiest of
appetites.

1. Make corn chowder: Cut bacon into 1/2″ dice; set aside. Peel onion

and cut into thin slices. Peel potatoes and cut into 1/2″ dice. (You should
have about 2 cups diced potatoes.)

2. Put bacon in a medium-sized saucepan and heat over moderate heat until
fat begins to render out. Add sliced onion and cook, stirring frequently
with a wooden spoon, until golden brown and the bacon is crisp.

3. Add diced potatoes to mixture. Pour in 3/4 cup water and bring mixture
to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat, cover saucepan, and simmer potato
mixture for about 10 minutes or until potatoes are tender but not mushy.

4. Add cream-style corn, undrained, to potato mixture. Stir in milk,
butter, salt, sugar, and pepper. Cover pan and simmer 5 minutes or until
chowder is very hot. Keep warm while you prepare biscuits. When ready to
serve sprinkle chowder with parsley.

5. Make cheese biscuits: Preheat oven to 450F. Sift flour with baking

powder and salt. Toss with cheese and cut in shortening with pastry blender
or 2 knives until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. Make a well in center;
pour in 2/3 cup of the milk, all at once.

6. Stir dough quickly with fork; if dry add a little more milk to form
dough ball. Knead 10 times; on a floured surface roll out to 3/4″ thickness
and cut into 2 1/2″ biscuits. Place on ungreased baking sheet

and bake for 12 to 15 minutes. Makes soup and biscuits for 8 servings.

*** MY NOTES*** I usually double the above recipes cuz to me it makes 8
servings when doubled. If I’m short on time I’ll make the biscuits with
Bisquick and add the cheddar and some garlic powder to it or just make some
packaged corn bread and add either some finely chopped jalepenos or some
cayenne pepper to give the corn bread some zing.