Soup, Southwestern Style

I've started a new fitness challenge at work, where one of the daily challenges was a meatless day. I boldly proclaim my love of meat. Unless directed by a physician, I'll likely never choose the vegetarian route. Since I'm pulling for my fitness team, and compliance means an extra point, I'm doing my best to complete as many challenges as I can. Lucky for me, I had a meatless option on the menu just by accident. And what a happy accident...

I don't exactly follow all the directions for this Smoky Southwestern Potato and Corn Chowder, but I did follow the spirit of it. The result was fantastic. I can't wait to enjoy it the second time around.

So here's where I deviated:

• No grilled veggies. I did not realize this was a component of the recipe when I pinned it. (I thought the non-grilled veggies were fine. So leave the grill put away if you want.)
• Skin-on red potatoes instead of the baby variety. I just chopped them pretty small. Make sure they are as done as you want them when you cook the veggies. They won't soften much later.
• I used a can of Niblets for the corn, it's the only canned corn I'll use and what I happened to have on hand at the time. (Added in just before the cheese.) 
• A mixture of skim milk, cream, and half and half. It's what I had and I wanted more fat content than just skim.
• Mostly Monterey Jack with a bit of cheddar thrown in for good measure.
• Topped with tortilla chips. (This makes the soup. Just do it!)

There was so much flavor in this that I didn't even miss the meat. I might even get excited for other meatless days if it means my food will be this good.