Creamy Corn Chowder

This recipe was posted back in January of 2011.  I found it on OurBestBites, one of my favorite food blogs.  Since posting, I have come up with a quicker way of getting this soup to the table, so I've altered the recipe a little - not the ingredients, just how it's put together.

A tip for cooking bacon: line a cookie sheet with heavy duty foil. Lay bacon on cookie sheet and bake at 400 degrees.  Check it after 12 minutes and continue baking until desired doneness. The result? Perfectly cooked bacon without all the mess (since you can just wrap up the grease in the foil and throw it out).

CREAMY CORN CHOWDER
from Our Best Bites

2 large potatoes, peeled and diced
3 Tbsp. butter
1/2 cup minced onion
1/4 cup flour
1 cup water
2 1/2 cups milk
2 chicken bouillon cubes or 2 tsp. chicken base
1/2 lb. bacon, crisp-cooked and chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
1 can corn, drained, or 1 1/2 cups frozen corn
dash of hot sauce or cayenne pepper
salt and pepper to taste

Add potatoes to a small pot and cover with water.  Bring to a boil; reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes, or until soft.  Drain.

While the potatoes are cooking, melt butter over medium heat in a soup pot. Stir in onions and cook until tender and translucent.  Add flour to make a roux and whisk it until combined - cook for one minute. Add  1 cup water and whisk until there are no lumps.   Add milk, chicken base, cooked potatoes, and garlic and simmer until thickened, stirring very frequently.  Add bacon and corn and heat through.  Add a dash of hot sauce or cayenne and salt and pepper to taste.