Corn Chowder

I love chowder, especially this one! Any creamy soup with bacon and cheese = YUM! I have a hard time finding husband approved soups, but luckily this one was. This is a Barefoot Contessa recipe that I changed a tiny bit, and halved. Corn is typically cheaper near the end of summer, but soup isn't something we eat during the summer in Texas, so I opted for the frozen corn, and it turned out great.

Corn Chowder
adapted from foodnetwork.com
6 slices of bacon
3 cups yellow onions, chopped
2 TBSPs butter
1/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tsp salt
3 cups white potatoes, unpeeled and diced
6 cups chicken broth
4 cups fresh corn or 1 lb. frozen (I used frozen)
1 cup half and half
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

1. In a large stockpot over medium-high heat, cook the bacon until crisp. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and reserve 1 TBSP of grease. Reduce the heat to medium, add the onions and butter to the grease, and cook for 10 minutes, until the onions are translucent.
2. Stir in the flour, salt,and pepper and cook for 3 minutes. Add the chicken stock and potatoes, bring to a boil, and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes, until the potatoes are tender.
3. If using fresh corn, cut the kernels off the cob and blanch them for 3 minutes in boiling salted water. Drain. (If using frozen corn you can skip this step.) Add the corn to the soup, then add the half-and-half and cheddar. Cook for 5 more minutes, until the cheese is melted. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper. Serve hot with a garnish of bacon (I also added some parsley as a garnish).