Creamy Corn Chowder for (almost) Fall

I'm so ready for Fall. Normally I'm not much of a Fall person, being everything is turning sort of brown and dying. Oh wait, that's what this summer looked like here - so I'm completely ready for a CHANGE of seasons to any season that includes cooler temps.

Enter Fall.

To hasten its arrival, this weekend I felt the need to whip up a batch of creamy potato soup. Only at my house, we can't call it potato soup because I have a son who completely believes he hates potatoes. It's all about the spin sometimes, so in an effort to have my potato soup and have everyone actually EAT said soup, I devised a plan. I'd add some corn and call it Golden Corn Chowder.

Sometimes I amaze even myself.

But here's where I was surprised...it actually is really great Corn Chowder. As in, the corn adds something I didn't quite expect but thoroughly enjoyed. So in my effort to trick the audience, I was actually the one tricked into discovering something even yummier than plain old potato soup.

The bottom line is that this is an extremely versatile recipe that can be made gluten-free, vegan, vegetarian, or meat-a-sourus, whichever way you lean. The only thing it's can't be is dairy-free. Sorry dairy-free folks.

Golden Corn Chowder and a buttered roll - recipe after the jump!

Golden Corn Chowder with Ham

7 cups of broth (I used half organic chicken and organic veggie broths)
1 8-oz package of cream cheese, cubed
2 oz goat cheese (stick with me on this)
1 regular size bag of hash brown potatoes (you could use cubed if you want it chunkier - remember I'm trying to hide the potatoes a bit)
1 can of corn with juice -or- 1 small package of frozen corn -or- about 3 ears worth of fresh corn
2 cups cubed cooked ham -or- half package of cooked crisp bacon, broken up
1 Tbls onion powder
2 tsp dried dill
1 Tbls dried parsley
Salt and pepper to taste

You can make this on the stove in less than an hour, or use your crockpot for 3-4 hours on low but you'll need to wait to add the cheeses until the last 30 min to prevent curdling.

Add broth to stockpot and heat. When it's warmed a bit, add the cubes of cream cheese and the goat cheese and whisk until it's fully incorporated. The goat cheese adds an amazing depth to the soup so I'd really encourage you to try it, even if you're not a fan of it plain. If you don't have it, you could sub Greek yogurt or sour cream before you serve it to add that little bit of tang.

Add your entire bag of hashbrowns (yes, ice crystals and all),  the entire can of corn including the juice, and the ham. Stir. Add seasonings to your liking. I like to go heavy on the onion powder and parsley and unfortunately I never measure, so for the amounts above I'm kind of guessing. Use your own taste - there's nothing really raw in this soup so you can sample liberally.

Bring it to a boil then back down to a light simmer, cover, and let it simmer for 30 - 40 minutes, even longer if you want. Serve piping hot with a buttered roll, bread sticks, goldfish, saltines...whatever you've got! My kids were dipping their rolls into the soup, something I'd never seen them do before. It might not look too glamorous but that is some good Fall eating right there. I didn't try freezing it as we ate it all up in the span of one supper and the next day's lunch so I can't vouch for how it will freeze.  

What's your go-to Fall soup recipe?