Farmer Sausage Corn Chowder
1/2 ring smoked farmer sausage, or 3 C cubed smoked ham
1 large onion, diced
2 to 3 stalks celery, diced.
2 diced bell peppers
5 medium potatoes, peeled if not white thin skinned and then diced
3 sliced carrots
2 to 3 C fresh or frozen corn kernels
1 tsp salt and 1/tsp teaspoon ground pepper
Cheese Sauce
1/4 C butter melted
1/4 C flour
2 C milk
2 C grated cheese (cheddar or Mexican blend)
For chowder
Sauté the sausage or ham in a soup pot. Add the onions and celery and fry until the veggies are softened. Add five to six cups of water to the pot. Add the rest of the veggies, adding the corn last. Allow to simmer until all the veggies are tender. I do this mid-afternoon, put it on a very slow simmer, barely simmering and leave it be until nearly dinner time when I add the cheese sauce.
For cheese sauce
Stir together melted butter and flour in a four-cup measuring cup. Add milk and whisk until well combined. Heat a minute at a time in the microwave, stirring well after each minute until the sauce is thickened and bubbly. Add cheese and stir to melt. Add the sauce into the soup and bring to a very low simmer and then serve immediately.