Cindy’s Awesome Clam Chowder

Ingredients

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

Directions

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.

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.

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.