12 Chowder Recipes to Warm You Up

This light and flavorful chowder is perfect for late spring dinners. Shrimp is a popular choice for any meal of the day: from a shrimp and grits casserole for brunch to grilled shrimp for supper. Be sure and get the right size shrimp for your recipe. Shrimp are sold labeled with a set of numbers that's an estimate of how many you'll get in a pound. The smaller the numbers, the bigger they'll be. Medium-size shrimp are best for soups, for example, because they are easier to eat with a spoon.

We used just two slices of smoked bacon, which adds rich flavor without a lot of extra fat; corn and carrots provide fiber and nutrients. We substituted 2% milk for heavy cream--the starch from the potatoes makes the soup extra creamy.

This rich corn chowder recipe gets bold flavor from bacon. It's loaded with veggies, making it a hearty option for a quick weeknight supper.

Warm up and fill up with a big-batch of Curried Chicken Chowder. The coconut milk adds a touch of sweetness to the curried soup.

What does the new light mean for Cooking Light recipes? It means eliminating our old no-no ingredients list, for one thing. Used with balance and moderation, even half-and-half is fine for healthy eating. A little goes a long way in this rich-tasting soup that's a meal in itself.

This easy New England-style chowder lets the red-skinned potatoes shine. Cream-style corn is a surprise ingredient that adds a little sweetness and contributes to the creamy texture.

To capture the freshness of yellow jewel-like corn without the fuss of shucking ears or cutting kernels off the cob, use packages of frozen baby gold and white corn. This chowder is so wonderfully sweet with the frozen corn that our taste testers gave it our highest rating.

I've found over the years that chowder is the perfect dish on a boat or in a small cottage--easy to assemble, hearty, requiring minimum fuss (just one pot!), and highlighting the saltiness of the sea.

"After a week of especially cold weather, I craved some thick and hearty soup but was short on time. Adding cauliflower is a great way to lightly thicken the soup. For extra zip, add a little shredded sharp cheddar cheese before serving." - Julie Blum, Mollusk, VA

Bacon brings a welcome smokiness to this fish chowder. Serve with oyster crackers on a cold night and you will warm up in no time.

This rich lobster chowder is full of great flavor, and it's perfect for weekend family meals or a dinner party.

This light New England style chowder can be made with fresh or canned clams. Thyme, bacon, red potatoes, two types of milk (evaporated milk and reduced fat 1% milk) and a splash of sherry keep it authentic, but if you like your chowder thick consider making a roux.