HEARTY CHICKEN CORN CHOWDER

Hearty Chicken Corn Chowder image

Provided by Cassie *

Time 50m

Number Of Ingredients 14

12 oz bacon, chopped
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1 inch cubes - (or I cheated and used rotisserie chicken, chopped)
32 oz frozen corn, evenly divided
1 medium onion, chopped
1/4 c red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 c celery, chopped
3 Tbsp flour
3 c half and half
2 c heavy cream
1 lb (about 3 medium red potatoes boiled whole, till tender, but not mushy - cubed or 1 can (16 oz) tiny whole potatoes, drained and diced
1 1/2 - 2 Tbsp (better than bouillion) chicken paste
1 tsp fresh ground pepper
salt to taste
cheddar cheese for garnish ( optional )

Steps:

1. Puree 2 cups of frozen corn; set aside.
2. In a large soup pot, cook bacon until crisp.
3. Drain fat, leaving 2 tablespoons in the pan. Add chicken and cook over medium heat until no longer pink, about 6 minutes. (If using rotisserie chicken, skip this part.) Add onion, celery and peppers and saute for 2 minutes or until tender.
4. Stir in flour. Cook for 1 - 2 minutes. Stir in half and half and heavy cream. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly.
5. Add pureed corn to the pot. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly for 1 minute. Stir in pepper, bouillon paste, potatoes and remaining corn.
6. Heat through. Stir in bacon. (I leave the bacon to use as a garnish, so it stays crisp - you can add it to the pot if you prefer. ) Serve immediately.