Noah's Ark Clam Chowder

When I was growing up in the Northwest suburbs of St. Louis, there was a restaurant named Noah's Ark just across the Missouri River in St. Charles. The restaurant was built like an ark and served good food. They had a salad bar and served a delicious clam chowder. I can't remember if the chowder was on the salad bar or if they brought it to the table but I do remember how much I liked the chowder.

Last week, I saw a recipe for Noah's Ark Clam Chowder on a Facebook group dedicated to Northwest Plaza, a shopping mall in my old neighborhood. Why a Facebook group dedicated a mall, you ask? (Or not, you may be bored to tears wondering when I will get to the recipe...hold on, I'll get there soon, I promise.) The mall is facing extinction due to slow decline for the past twenty years. A local guy started a Facebook group called "I hung out at the fountain at Northwest Plaza as a teenager" and I read about it in the St. Louis Post online. I didn't really hang out at the fountain, but I have fond memories of Northwest Plaza from my youth so I joined the group and enjoyed reading memoreis of the group. Unfortunately, this week I received a politically-charged email announcing a new group the founder was starting and I resented being "farmed" from the first group so I quit. Fickle Facebook user here. (No, I won't be your Farmville neighbor. No, I won't answer your quiz. No, I won't join your political cause. No, I don't give or send cupcakes or smiles or flowers. Sorry, I'm just not interested. I haven't been to a Tupperware, basket, jewelry or candle party in years, either. Please don't take it personally.)

Anyway, the recipe:

2 cans Campbell's clam chowder
2 cans cream of celery soup
2 cans cream of potato soup
3 cups whole milk
optional: 1 can minced or chopped clams

Mix all together in a saucepan or crockpot and bring to a simmer. It's best if it simmers for awhile to mix the flavors.

Can you believe I just posted a recipe using CANNED soup?? Heh heh. Don't knock it till you try this delicious soup. I made it this week and Terry, my resident food snob, really liked it. I cut the recipe in half and we still had enough for leftovers, which I just finished, reminding me to post the recipe. We love soup in the winter and sometimes I don't have time to make it from scratch. Terry likes to take a can of Chunky (non-condensed) clam chowder and add a can of clams. But he liked this even better. I think the cream of celery soup adds just the right balance to the potatoes and clams. Notice there's no added salt or pepper. There's enough salt in the canned soups and clams and I didn't add any pepper because I wanted to taste it plain first and then didn't think it needed any.

What is your favorite, super-easy recipe?