Corn Chowder

I have to first begin tonight by apologizing to my 5 loyal readers for my lack of blog love lately. Between Labor Day Weekend and our 2nd wedding anniversary, things have been a little busy and we haven't been home a whole lot, which means not as much time for cooking. I did manage to squeeze in a couple of recipes last week though that I want to blog about, starting tonight with Corn Chowder. As the weather starts to turn a little colder and you can feel Fall in the air, I start to think more about recipes like Beef Stew, Broccoli and Cheese Soup and this Corn Chowder recipe. I found this recipe in a Weight Watchers cookbook that I got a couple of years ago and have modified it a bit from the original. I am going to list the recipe on here in the original format and then I'll tell you what I do differently. I usually pair the chowder with a nice salad with a little chicken on top for some protein, delicious!

Corn and Bacon Chowder (this is the real name but because I don't use the bacon, I just call it Corn Chowder)

2 slices turkey bacon, cut into 1/2 inch pieces

2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons water

1 onion, chopped

1/2 yellow bell pepper, seeded and chopped

2 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth

2 medium all-purpose potatoes, peeled and cubed

2 cups whole corn kernels

1/4 cup light cream

1. In a medium nonstick pan over medium-high heat, cook the bacon in 2 tablespoons of water until crisp. With a slotted spoon, transfer to a paper towel; discard the liquid.

2. Add the onion, bell pepper and 2 teaspoons of water to the saucepan; saute until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the stock and potatoes; bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, partially covered, until the potatoes are almost tender, about 15 minutes. Stir in the corn; simmer 5 minutes longer. Remove from the heat; cool slightly.

3. Transfer 2 cups of the soup to a food processor or blender; puree. Pour back into the saucepan; stir in the cream and heat to serving temperature. Serve, topped with the bacon pieces.

Makes 4 servings, 4 WW points per serving

I made it with the turkey bacon the first time I tried this recipe and to me, it just didn't add enough to the chowder to make it worthwhile to use the bacon again. So I omit that and I also omit the yellow pepper, as Matt and I both agree that it tastes better without that as well. But feel free to try it whatever way you would like, maybe even add your own twist to it. Let me know how you like it if you make it! Oh yeah, Matt gives this one 3.5 starts out of 5.