Potato Bacon Corn Chowder Recipe

Place bacon in a large heavy-bottom pot and cook over medium-high heat until crispy about 10 minutes. Add onions and celery to bacon and stir until coated in bacon grease; add garlic.

Pour 1 quart water over onion mixture and cover pot; steam vegetables until partially tender about 5 minutes. Add remaining 1 quart water and cream; reduce heat to medium.

Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat; stir flour into melted butter and cook until mixture forms a paste. Add potatoes to flour-butter paste and cook until paste is lightly browned and the raw flavor of flour is gone about 5 minutes. Slowly stir potato mixture into vegetable and cream mixture and cook until soup is smooth potatoes are tender and temperature is 170 degrees F (75 degrees C) to 180 degrees F (80 degrees C) 30 to 40 minutes.

Cook and stir corn and red bell pepper together in a cast iron skillet over medium heat until golden brown 10 to 15 minutes. Mix corn mixture into soup and season with red pepper flakes salt and pepper.