Gwen’s Clam Chowder

Ingredients:

• 2 cans Bar Harbor chopped clams (1440 mg sodium) drained, or lowest you can find
• 2 Tablespoons butter
• 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
• 1 yellow onion, finely chopped
• 1 cup celery, finely chopped (81)
• 1 tsp garlic, from jar
• 3 cups frozen hash brown cubed potatoes (90)
• 1 cup no salt added chicken broth (45)
• 3 Tablespoons butter
• 3 Tablespoons flour
• 1-1/2 cups 2% milk (187.5)
• 1/8 tsp salt (300)
• 1/2 tsp dill
• 1/2 tsp thyme
• 2 cups half n half (225)
• 1 tsp 21 Seasoning Salute (or your favorite all purpose seasoning)
• 1 tsp garlic/onion/pepper blend

Directions:

Drain clams, reserving juice.

In large pot, put 2 Tablespoons of butter and 1 Tablespoon of Olive oil. Add onion, celery and garlic. Sauté until tender, add frozen hash browns, chicken broth and reserved clam juice. Cover and let simmer until potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile put 3 Tablespoons of butter in a 1 quart or larger pitcher, cover and melt in the microwave. Stir in flour until smooth, add 2% milk slowly, stirring until smooth. Microwave at 30 second intervals until it begins to thicken. Add 1 cup half and half and continue to microwave. As that thickens add the rest of the half n half. Watch this careful, nuking at no more than 30 second intervals, because it will boil over very quickly. If it isn’t thick enough to suit you, mix 2 heaping teaspoons of corn starch with 2 teaspoons of hot water and add to the cream sauce mixture. Give it another 30 seconds in the microwave.

Pour the cream sauce into the pot, add your seasonings and stir well. Add clams. Put the lid back on and let simmer for about 5 minutes to blend the flavors.

Total mg of sodium is 2368.5. Makes approximately 7 one cup servings at 338.2 mg of sodium per serving.

Serve with Oyster Crackers (170 for 22)