Start with Bacon

I was laughing to myself as I started the recipe for Corn & Cheese Chowder. I read the recipe, but it didn't start with the bacon. What? It has to start with bacon, it's chowder. So, I started with the bacon.
I was just checking out the recipe again and JUST realized that her bacon was already cooked ~
I cooked the bacon in the same pot, FIRST, let it get crispy, scooped it out to use as bacon bit topping, then continued with the butter and onions IN the bacon grease. It is only a few pieces of bacon (I used 4-5 thick cut pieces) so it's really not that much, but enough to flavor the bottom of the pan. The recipe also calls for 5 ears Fresh Corn, I used a couple of cups of frozen corn kernels.

One more tip ~ I did not serve mine in bread bowls. I'm sure it is delicious, but I had some Marie Callender's mix for Southwestern Corn bread and added 1 cup of frozen corn to the mix. It was absolutely delicious crumbled in the soup with a dash of Tabasco.

Also, I took my first picture for last nights recipe, but I guess I figured that the battery charges itself. I took one picture and the camera battery died. So, no step by step pictures yet for this recipe.

Check out The Pioneer Woman ~ Corn & Cheese Chowder


Ingredients

• 4 Tablespoons 1/2 Stick Butter
• 1 whole Onion, Chopped
• 3 slices Bacon, Cut Into Pieces
• 3 whole Bell Peppers, Finely Diced (red, Yellow, Orange)
• 5 ears Corn, Kernels Sliced Off
• ¼ cups All-purpose Flour
• 3 cups Chicken Stock Or Broth
• 2 cups Half-and-half
• 1 cup (heaping) Grated Monterrey Jack
• 1 cup (heaping) Pepper Jack
• ⅓ cups Sliced Green Onions
• Bread Bowls

Preparation Instructions

In a large pot, melt butter over medium-high heat. Cook onions for a couple of minutes. Add bacon and cook for another minute or so, then add diced bell peppers and cook for a couple of minutes. Finally, add corn and cook for a minute.
Sprinkle flour evenly over the top and stir to combine. Pour in broth and stir well. Allow this to thicken for 3 or 4 minutes, then reduce heat to low. Stir in half-and-half, then cover and allow to simmer/thicken for 15 minutes or so.
Stir in cheeses and green onions. When cheese is melted and the soup is hot, check seasonings. Add salt and pepper as needed.