The Chef-Approved Method To Easily Elevate Canned Clam Chowder

When it comes to eating, nearly everybody has what they consider to be their guilty pleasure food. Food, typically referred to as a guilty pleasure, often makes life easier, more nostalgic, or just more delicious. There is something to be said for hacking your favorite guilty pleasure snack to elevate and expand upon the taste just a little bit.

Enter the totally achievable way that "Top Chef" contestant and current director of culinary at Inland Seafood, Eli Kirshtein, hacks canned clam chowder. Kirshtein tells Insider the key to his favorite Campbell's New England clam chowder: "I usually like to season it up with a splash of Worcestershire sauce, a bit of hot sauce, and a couple grinds of black pepper," he said.

He never mentions the word guilty at all, and with a snack this delicious to enjoy, quick to make, and shelf-stable, so it is always on hand, the term "genius" should replace guilty altogether.

Kirstein's additions make complete sense. New England clam chowder is a thick, dairy-based soup, and it is not to be confused with Manhattan clam chowder, which is a tomato-based version. There is also Rhode Island clam chowder, a white clam broth-based version. However, the canned version Kirshtein is talking about can stand up to and benefit from adding spicy ingredients to enhance its richness.

The pepper and hot sauce add the heat, and Worcestershire, an umami flavor booster, brings in savory notes like bacon complements clams in recipes like chowder and clams casino. Kirshtein places a piece of toasted sourdough bread in the bowl before he ladles on the soup for a final touch that makes this less of a snack and more of a meal.

Tinned seafood, including canned clams, is certainly having its moment in the sun, and though you could make a delicious clam chowder from scratch, a few logistics are standing in your way. First, clam chowder takes time, even if you start with canned clams. It is not as quick as just heating a can of soup. Second, you must ensure you have fresh ingredients like dairy, aromatics, and potatoes on hand. These things aren't shelf stable the way canned clam chowder is.

The ease, speed, and ability to jazz it up make canned soup an underrated food in your arsenal. So lean into canned soup, boxed macaroni and cheese, and other quick meals if they bring you joy. It takes almost no effort to customize shelf-stable items to make them taste homemade.