Baked New England Style Clam Chowder!

Total Time: 55 mins Preparation Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 35 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 6
• 1 1/2 lbs hash brown potatoes, thawed
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 cup green onion, sliced
• 1/2 cup celery, sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon celery seed
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1 cup skim milk or 1 cup fat-free half-and-half
• 1 1/2 tablespoons vermouth
• 1 cup shredded gruyere or 1 cup swiss cheese, divided
• 2 tablespoons parmesan cheese
• 1 cup low fat cottage cheese
• 20 ounces chopped clams, drained and liquid reserved
• 1/4 cup flat leaf parsley, chopped

Recipe

• 1 the above listed clams are 3-6 5 oz cans! (would not let me list it that way!).
• 2 saute, onions, celery and garlic in the oil and butter until soft. add dry seasonings and flour. stir well.
• 3 remove from heat and slowly whisk in the milk and vermouth. return to heat and cook whisking until thickened.
• 4 add 3/4 cup of the cheese as well as the parmesan. stir until melted. turn off heat and add the potatoes. (i like to use the cubed southern style hash browns). the mixture will be very thick at this point.
• 5 place cottage cheese and clam liquid in food processor or blender and buzz until no curds remain. add this and the clams to the potato mixture and stir well.
• 6 pour into a greased 9x13 casserole and sprinkle remaining 1/4 cup cheese over the top. bake at 350°f 30-40 minutes until the potatoes are soft.
• 7 garnish with chopped parsley.