Cindy's Awesome Clam Chowder

A wonderful clam chowder to serve with hot sourdough bread, or even better yet, in a sourdough bread bowl. My whole family adores this recipe, I'm sure yours will too!

• Preparation Time: 15 mins
• Cooking Time: 40 mins
• Total Time: 55 mins
• Calories: 681 Calories

Ingredients

• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 carrots, diced
• 1 quart half-and-half
• 2 (1.8 ounce) packages dry leek soup mix
• ½ pound bacon, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
• 2 (6.5 ounce) cans chopped clams with juice
• 5 unpeeled potatoes, diced

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Place the bacon in a large pot and cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until crisped and browned, about 10 minutes. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon, leaving the drippings in the pot. Set the bacon aside. Stir the potatoes and carrots into the bacon fat. Season with salt and pepper, and cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.

Step 2

Pour the juice from the clams into the pot, and add enough water to just cover the potatoes. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the potatoes are just tender, 10 to 15 minutes.

Step 3

Gently stir the leek soup mix into the potatoes until no lumps of soup remain. Stir in the clams, reserved bacon, and half-and-half cream. Cook and stir until the chowder returns to a simmer and thickens, about 10 minutes more.