Creamy Sausage Corn Chowder Recipe

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This is the recipe that landed me a husband. I made this creamy corn chowder for my now husband almost 20 years ago and he’s stuck around ever since. I’ve perfected the recipe over the years so now it’s weeknight friendly with the addition of precooked chicken sausage, extra creamy with a sprinkle of flour on the veggies (no roux to make), and it makes a pot big enough to feed a crowd…or a boyfriend you’re trying to impress.

Sausage Corn Chowder Ingredients:

• Fully cooked Italian chicken sausage– use a knife to dice into bite-size pieces
• Onions, diced
• Celery, diced (1 cup)
• Potatoes, peeled and diced into bite sized chunks. I used white potatoes, but you can use red potatoes or Yukon gold potatoes.
• Dried thyme
• All purpose flour
• Chicken Stock or Vegetable stock
• Canned Cream-style Corn- this adds corn flavor and gives the chowder a creamy consistency.
• Corn Kernels- Frozen, canned sweet corn, or fresh corn off the cob (when in season) can be used for the corn in this recipe. Use whatever is available and delicious. If you use fresh corn kernels, you’ll need 3-4 cups.
• Whole milk
• Olive Oil or Butter
• Salt and pepper to taste

How to Make Corn Chowder with Sausage

Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium to medium-low heat in a large Dutch oven or a large saucepan.

Add the diced sausage to the pot and saute until browned. We’re just browning for flavor at this point, the sausage is already cooked fully.

Without removing the sausage, add the onions and celery and cook until the veggies are softened.

Add the dried thyme and stir for about 30 seconds until the mixture is fragrant.

Sprinkle the flour over the sausage and veggie mixture. Stir to coat and cook for one minute. This will cook out the raw flour flavor.

Add the potatoes and chicken stock. Give the mix a stir, making sure to scrape up all the brown bits on the bottom of the pot.

Bring the chowder to a boil and then turn down the heat to a simmer. Continue simmering until the potatoes are tender, about 15-20 minutes.

Pour in the cream-style corn, whole corn kernels, and milk.

Stir and cook on medium heat until everything is heated through and slightly thickened.

Give the chowder a taste, and add salt and pepper if necessary.

Serve and enjoy!

Corn Sausage Chowder Substitutions & Variations

Play around with this corn chowder recipe! It has so much room for creativity, and it’ll always taste delicious. Here are some suggestions:

• You can omit the flour in this recipe. The final result will be a little thinner–like a soup rather than a chowder.
• Use heavy cream or half and half for extra richness.
• Feel free to add 2 bay leaves or fresh parsley and other fresh herbs for extra flavor.
• Add diced red bell pepper, fresh minced garlic cloves, or spices like red pepper flakes and cayenne pepper.
• Swap the chicken sausage for pork, turkey, ham, or see below for more protein options.

Chicken Corn Chowder

• Swap the chicken sausage for 4 cups of cooked diced chicken breast or shredded rotisserie chicken. Stir in with the corn.

Seafood Corn Chowder

• For crab and corn chowder, stir in 2lbs of lump crabmeat at the end of cooking and heat until warmed through.
• Shrimp and corn chowder is a perfect match. Add 2 lbs of peeled, deveined cooked shrimp to the chowder. Dice up large shrimp into bite-size pieces or stir in whole cooked baby shrimp.
• Chunks of lobster meat are also super delicious in this chowder and very Maine-inspired!

Bacon Corn Chowder

Saute four strips of bacon in the pot and cook until crisp. Remove the cooked bacon and drain on a paper towel.

Saute the onion and celery in the rendered bacon fat and then garnish the finished chowder with crispy bacon bits.

Vegetarian and Vegan Corn Chowder Recipe

Saute the onions and celery in olive oil or coconut oil.

For the sausage, omit it completely or use plant-based sausage links.

Use vegetable stock and cashew or unsweetened coconut milk for the chowder broth. Make sure to read the labels on your ingredients to confirm they are vegan-approved before using them!

How to Store Corn Sausage Chowder

Cool leftovers completely before storing. Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 5 days, or freeze in freezer-safe bags or containers. Thaw frozen chowder overnight in the fridge, then reheat on the stove or in the microwave. The texture may thin slightly, but the flavor remains delicious!

Corn Chowder with Sausage FAQs

What to Serve with Corn and Sausage Chowder

While this chowder is a hearty and delicious meal all on its own, it never hurts to add a little embellishment on the side. Here are a few ideas:

• A simple side salad with a balsamic vinaigrette
• Crusty bread or dinner rolls, like homemade Parker House Rolls
• Cornbread
• A quesadilla with diced chiles certainly wouldn’t hurt anything

Other recipes you might like:

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