Slow cooker chicken & corn chowder

This recipe, slightly adapted from one by the Australian Women’s Weekly, ticks all the boxes, and if we know one thing about me, it’s that I like lots of boxes ticked: slow cooker for less effort; a hearty warming soup; and no fancy or expensive ingredients; feeds a crowd; leaves you with freezable leftovers; delicious and easy and healthy: TICK TICK TICK. This chowder is all of those things.

what you need

• a little olive oil
• 1  brown onion, diced
• a few bacon rashers, sliced up
• a couple of celery stalks, diced
• 1 bunch fresh thyme
• 1 whole chicken, approx 1.6kg
• 4 corn cobs
• 1/2 kg potatoes, peeled and diced
• approx. 2L chicken stock
• 1 cup (250ml) milk
• 1 to 2 tbsp cornflour
• chopped fresh chives

what to do

In a fry pan heat some olive oil and fry the onion, bacon, and celery until softened. Spread it over the base of your slow cooker and add lots of fresh thyme.

Add your whole chicken, corn cobs, chopped potatoes, some more fresh thyme, and just enough stock to barely cover the chicken. Season well with lots of freshly cracked black pepper, and cook either on low for eight hours or on high for four to six, depending on how much time you have.

Remove chicken and corn from cooker. Shred chicken coarsely using two forks; discard skin and bones. Cut the kernels from corn cobs and return the chicken and corn to the slow cooker.

Stir milk and cornflour in a small bowl until combined and pour into slow cooker, stirring through. Increase heat to low and simmer, uncovered, for about 10 minutes or until chowder thickens. Check if it needs more seasoning, and serve chowder sprinkled with fresh chives.