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Friday, September 19, 2014

Corn Chowder with Bacon

Sometimes the stars align perfectly. Or maybe it's the ingredients that align. This corn chowder couldn't have been more perfect.

Well, maybe it could have been more perfect if I made a giant vat of the chowder. But the flavor was perfect.

At at first, I was wishing I had red bell peppers for the color, but I think I actually liked the look better with all pale ingredients. Some times bits of color don't look all that attractive in a creamy sauce. If you want an accent color, I'd suggest floating some chopped herbs or grated cheese on top.

Or do the sensible thing and add a little extra bacon spread to the top.

Hmmm ... did I just say BACON SPREAD???

Yup, I did. I got some bacon spread to sample from a company called The Bacon Jams. I had a giveaway over on my other blog (which is now over). But here, I have the magical corn chowder recipe.

Want another recipe? I made Bacon Bread in my bread machine, HERE.

Corn Chowder

2 tablespoons butter
1/2 of a large onion, diced (about the same size as corn kernels)
1 yellow bell pepper, cored, seeded, and diced (about the same size as corn kernels)
Kernels from 4 years of fresh corn
2 Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and diced (about the same size as corn kernels)
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons flour
3 cups milk
1 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons Bacon Spread
1 teaspoon black pepper

Melt the butter in a saucepan. add the onion and bell pepper. Cook, stirring as needed, until the vegetables begin to soften.

Add the corn, potatoes, and salt. Cook for another minute or two, stirring as needed. Add the flour and stir. Cook another minute or two, then add the milk, cream, bacon jam, and black pepper. Stir well.

Let the mixture come to a boil, then lower to a simmer. Cook, stirring as needed, until the vegetables are cooked through. Taste for seasoning, and adjust as needed.

Serve hot. A little garnish of bacon jam would be nice.

About Bacon Spread: I received jars of this to try, and I have to say I'm in love with this stuff. I keep sneaking little samples of it. It's really good. A little sweet, a little smoky, a little jammy.

If you don't have bacon spread, I suppose you could used chopped or crumbled cooked bacon, but if you're a bacon fan, I suggest you give this stuff a try.