Poblano Potato Chowder

Are you ready to chase the winter chill? Laugh at the arctic winds? Snub the biting ice that freezes you to the core? I've got a soup recipe for you! It begins with a combination of poblano and red peppers charred in the oven, offering a faint smokiness to contrast the soup’s creamy base. Until I made this recipe several years ago, I had never cooked with poblano peppers or tried my hand at charring vegetables. I guess the whole charring thing sounded difficult, maybe even time consuming. Fortunately, the process is easy and worth the effort. And when you add those smoky peppers to potatoes, bacon, and cheese, how could you go wrong?

Poblano Potato Chowder

from Southern Living

1 red bell pepper
4 poblano chile peppers
5 cups chicken broth
1 large potato, peeled and cubed
1 large onion, chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup butter
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 cups half-and-half
1 cup milk
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Cheddar cheese
6 bacon slices, cooked and crumbled
1 bunch green onions, chopped

Broil bell pepper and chile peppers on an aluminum foil-lined baking sheet 5 inches from heat about 5 minutes on each side or until peppers look blistered.
Place peppers in a heavy-duty zip-top plastic bag; seal and let stand 10 minutes to loosen skins. Peel peppers; remove and discard seeds. Coarsely chop peppers.
Bring chopped roasted peppers, chicken broth, and next 5 ingredients to a boil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes or until potato is tender.
Melt butter in a heavy saucepan over low heat; whisk in flour and next 3 ingredients until smooth. Cook, whisking constantly, 1 minute. Gradually whisk in half-and-half.

Stir white sauce and milk into chicken broth mixture; cook over medium heat 8 to 10 minutes or until thickened and bubbly. Sprinkle each serving evenly with cheese, bacon, and green onions.