Corn and Potato Chowder

Fall is hanging in the air and I have been chasing boys over hill and dale to school and church activities in a 30 mile radius from our home.  The tree leaves are starting to change and the fields we pass are taking on a golden hue.  We've begun harvesting pumpkins and gourds from the garden so I felt it was time to bring back easy and warm dinners. 

To celebrate the promise of fall and a late afternoon football game, I made a batch of corn and potato chowder for dinner.  I had made the soup earlier in the day and reheated it when we returned home after football.  All I needed to do was warm up some garlic bread and serve.

It was easy and hearty.  A win for the Bears and a win for me!

Here's what you will need:

• 1 pound bacon
• 4 ears of sweet corn or 1 pint of frozen corn
• 1 red onion
• 4 large potatoes diced
• 3 cups chicken broth
• 1 bunch of green onions or a small onion
• 1 cup heavy cream or whole milk (we use milk)
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
• 1 teaspoon pepper or to taste
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 6-8 slices American cheese

Optional additions:  cumin, mushrooms, thyme, turmeric, cheese

Here's what you do:

• In a heavy stock pot, crisp the bacon until it's golden brown.
• Drain the grease and chop up the bacon into small pieces, about 1 inch size. 
• Add onions and cook until tender.

• In the same pan-  add chicken broth, potatoes, and corn.  Make sure to scrape the bottom of the pan while stirring to loosen the small bacon pieces from the pan. 
• Simmer until the potatoes are tender.

• Stir in the milk, cheese, and butter and heat through.  You do not want it to boil and curdle the milk.
• Remove from the heat and serve.
• We like to garnish with a sprinkle of cheese and croutons, but I was out of them for the day.  We opted to have a crusty piece of warm garlic bread to round out the meal.

Note: I typically double this recipe to make enough for our family of 5 and the occasional extra...