Corn Potato & Bacon Chowder

Yesterday was a very blustery, very cold day. My wee ones were determined to take advantage of the sun that was shining though! I took them out for a bike ride and by the time we made it back home, we all felt like Popsicles, with our frozen ears and frozen fingers!

I knew JUST what I wanted to make for dinner, to get us all warmed up again! I hadn't made it in a long time, but I was pretty sure I had all the ingredients on hand.

It was all I could do to keep all of "Mommy's Little Helpers" from eating it straight out of the pot! The best reward was being told, by my wee ones that THEIR Mommy is the best cook in the world! Though I don't know about that, here is the yummy recipe.

Potato Bacon Corn Chowder
1 cup butter
1 medium onion, peeled and diced
1 (4.5 oz) package real bacon bits (in your salad section)
1/2 cup flour
3 cups half and half
4 cans whole kernel corn, drained
4 cans creamed corn
8 medium size potatoes, peeled, diced, and boiled to firm/tender (soft enough to eat but not so soft that they fall apart in your chowder), & DRAINED
1 1/2 tsp. dried parsley
salt and pepper
Mrs. Dash

In a 6 quart cooking pot, saute the dice onion and bacon in the butter until the onions are transparent and soft. Remove from heat and whisk in the flour.

Return to heat and continue whisking until the mixture starts to thicken. Whisk in the half and half and continue whisking until the flour mixture is thick. Add the corn and the creamed corn. Season to taste with Mrs. dash, salt, and pepper (remember Mrs. Dash has pepper in it).

Gently fold in potatoes, and season again if needed. Serve hot.

This chowder would be excellent in a bread bowl! I was thinking this would also be wonderful to make ahead of time and take on one of our Summer camp outs..... sigh.... Summer. It will be here before I know it, right???