Hearty Potato & Sausage Chowder
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1 ½ cups (1 large) thinly sliced onion
3 Tblsp all purpose flour
3 cups (3 medium) cubed 3/4-inch potatoes
4 cups milk
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 cups (8 oz.) shredded Cheddar
8 ounces (2 medium) cooked Polish sausages, cut into 1/4 inch slices
In 3-quart saucepan melt butter. Stir in onion; cook over medium heat until tender (4 - 5 minutes). Stir in flour until smooth and bubbly (1 minute). Stir in potatoes, milk, salt and pepper. Cover; continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until potatoes are fork tender (25 - 30 minutes). Stir in cheese and sausage. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until cheese is melted and sausage is heated through, (2 - 3 minutes).
That’s the recipe from Land O Lakes Treasury of Country Heritage Meals and Menus.
Now here’s how I cook it. I mix together the flour, salt and pepper and put it in where the flour is called for, similar to making gravy. This business about stirring occasionally does not work! Stir frequently, I use a wooden spatula to get all the way to the bottom, or you’ll have potatoes stuck on the pot that’ll take two days to soak off! Whatever you do, don’t let this scorch. It will ruin the taste. Ask me how I know that. I use red potatoes because they don’t cook to mush, however if you’d like the potatoes to be extra soft, you could use a baking type potato. With the leftovers, add a little milk when you warm it; it stretches the soup, and to my palate always seems to need it anyway.
