Chicken Chowder With Bacon

This is the first step in a long quest of finding the perfect recipe for chicken chowder. As my husband likes to say, this is the "Tacoma" style...

• Ready In: 55 mins
• Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 1  lb boneless skinless chicken breast, cubed
• 6  slices bacon
• 2  large potatoes, cubed
• 2  leeks, chopped
• 1  green bell pepper, chopped
• 2  garlic cloves, minced
• 1  small onion, chopped
• 2  cups corn kernels
• 1  tablespoon flour
• 2  teaspoons paprika
• 2  bay leaves
• 2  teaspoons salt
• 1⁄2 teaspoon cracked black pepper
• 1.5 (50 ounce) containers chicken broth
• 1⁄2 cup heavy cream
• 3⁄4 cup milk

Directions

1. In a heavy 6-8 quart soup pot cook the bacon until crispy, remove to a separate plate.
2. Cook the chicken in the bacon drippings over medium high heat until cooked through, using a slotted spoon remove to the same plate as the bacon.
3. Add the potatoes, leeks, bell pepper, garlic and onion to the pot and cook until softened.
4. Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and mix until coated.
5. Add the bacon and chicken back to the pot, along with the corn kernels, paprika, bay leaves, salt, pepper and chicken stock.
6. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat to medium-low.
7. Cook about 15 minutes, or until potatoes are tender.
8. Add cream and milk and heat through.