Gluten-free Cheesy Pepper Jack Potato Chowder

Ingredients:

8 strips bacon, chopped

1 rib celery, chopped

1 large shallot or 1/2 small onion, chopped

pepper

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 teaspoon red chili pepper flakes (or more or less)

2 Tablespoons glutenfree or allpurpose flour

2 cups chicken broth, divided

2 cups 2% milk

4 cups southern style frozen hash browns

8 oz freshly shredded Pepper Jack cheese

2 green onions, chopped

In a small bowl whisk together 2 Tablespoons flour with 1/4 cup chicken broth then set aside.

Heat a large soup pot over medium heat then add chopped bacon and cook until crisp. Remove bacon to a paper towel-lined plate to drain then remove all but 1 Tablespoon bacon grease from the pot. Add celery and shallots, season with pepper, and then sauté until tender, 4-5 minutes. Add minced garlic and red chili pepper flakes then sauté for 30 seconds, stirring constantly.  Add remaining 1 3/4 cups chicken broth, milk, hash browns, and lots of freshly cracked pepper to the pot then turn heat up to high and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Slowly drizzle in flour/chicken broth mixture then stir to combine. Turn heat down to medium-low and simmer until chowder has thickened and potatoes are tender, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Remove pot from heat then add shredded cheese about 1/2 cup at a time, stirring until completely smooth before adding the next batch. Stir in 1/2 the cooked bacon then serve with remaining bacon and green onions.

I made this for the soup cook off I hosted this weekend. It was so good! I made mine in the crockpot so it was even easier and could be kept warm throughout the night.  

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