Roasted Sweet Potato Corn Chowder and Pear (Ham for kev) and Brie Sandwiches

So on Sunday when Mike and Erin came over after we drove up to the top of Mt. Greylock I cooked this for dinner. I thought it was super tasty, ooh so fall like and pretty easy to make. I made a huge batch of soup so I could have it for lunch this week as well. The sandwiches are great! I made mine with just brie and pear but I added some thinly sliced ham for everyone else. I found a cranberry pecan multi grain loaf at the bakery so that is the bread I used which I think really added a lot to the sandwich.

Roasted Sweet Potato Corn Chowder (Recipe found at All Recipes)
Ingredients:
2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 tablespoon olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

1 (12 ounce) package frozen corn kernels, thawed
1 cup water
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/2 cups finely diced celery
1 cup diced red onion
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
3 cups vegetable broth
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

1. Preheat an oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Place the sweet potatoes into a 9×13 inch baking dish, drizzle with 1 tablespoon of oil, and season with salt and pepper. Stir to coat the sweet potatoes in oil.
2. Roast in the preheated oven until the sweet potatoes are golden and tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Stir occasionally as they cook so the sweet potatoes cook evenly.
3. Meanwhile, measure out 1 cup of corn kernels and set aside. Place the remaining corn into a blender, and puree with the water until smooth; set aside.
4. Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the celery and onion. Cook and stir until the onion has softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and dried thyme leaves; cook 1 minute more. Pour in the vegetable broth, corn puree, bay leaf and salt. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer 10-15 mins.
5. Remove and discard the bay leaf. Stir in the whole corn kernels, sweet potato, and chopped parsley. Return to a simmer and season to taste with salt and pepper before serving.

Brie and Pear Sandwiches:
Brie
Thinly sliced pear
Thinly sliced Ham (optional)
Fresh bakery Loaf (I used a Cranberry Pecan multi grain loaf)

1. Preheat oven to 350
2. Slice brie, pear and bread
3. Layer brie, ham and pair onto bread to make a little sandwich
4. Place sandwiches on a baking sheet and place in oven for 4-5 mins or until brie is melted. If you have a Panini press that would work awesome!