Creamy Corn Chowder Garnished with Crispy Bacon

Having a large family it is often hard to cook something that everyone likes, corn chowder is usually a big hit. There's nothing like a hot bowl of chowder when it's cold outside. After you've been shoveling, sledding or ice skating, it really hits the spot. My kids love it when I make up some cornbread or make bread in the breadmaker to go with it. My daughter likes me to make it for her to bring back to college. She says it reminds her of home.

Creamy Corn Chowder with Crispy Bacon

Ingredients:

olive oil
6 slices of bacon (if you want to make it healthier omit the bacon and use only skim milk)
1 Vidalia onion
6 medium white potatoes
2 cans chicken stock
2 cans evaporated milk
1 large bag frozen corn
1 cup cream (fat free, light, half and half - it depends on what you like and how much fat you want to add)
salt
pepper
rosemary

I generally begin by washing, peeling and dicing my potatoes. Then I drizzle a little olive oil in the bottom of a large stock pot, when the oil is hot add the bacon. Cook the bacon until it is crispy. Remove the bacon and set aside on a paper towel. Add the onions and cook until they are translucent , stirring frequently to get the bacon flavor from the bottom of the pot. Now it's time to add the chicken stock and broil to a low boil. Then toss in the potatoes and cook until they're almost done. Turn the heat down to medium-low and add the evaporated milk and the bag of frozen corn. Cook until all the ingredients are warm, then add the cream. Now it's time to season the chowder. Add about 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper and about 1/2 teaspoon rosemary to start. Let it simmer for awhile and then taste it. You can adjust it to suit your own taste. Sometimes, I add a pinch of cayenne pepper for a little added heat. For those who don't like rosemary, you can absolutely omit it. When the chowder is good and hot, ladle into bowl and garnish with the crispy bacon that you set aside. Delicious!