New England Clam Chowder

 This is one of those recipes that I thought I posted long ago, and then when I went looking for it, I thought, wait....did I ever post that??? Nope, I didn't! So here it is now. It's not complicated, it's creamy and comforting, and it's ready in about a half hour. Yes, yes, I'm sure there are much more sophisticated recipes that involve fresh clams, etc, but this one works just fine for me. It's the perfect thing for a crisp autumn night. Serve it with buttered fresh bakery rolls and you're good to go. You don't even need anything else, except maybe a crisp salad. SO delicious and warm and flavorful, and easy enough for the cooking novice.
You should try it!

4 slices super thick bacon, diced

1 1/2 cups chopped onion

1 1/2 cups water

4 cups peeled and cubed potatoes

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

ground black pepper to taste

3 cups half-and-half

4 tablespoons butter

2 (10 ounce) cans minced clams

Place diced bacon in large stock pot over medium-high heat. Cook until almost crisp; add onions, and cook 5 minutes. Stir in water and potatoes, and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, and cook uncovered for 15 minutes, or until potatoes are fork tender. Pour in half-and-half, and add butter. Drain clams, reserving clam liquid; stir clams and 1 cup of the clam liquid into the soup. Cook for about 5 minutes, or until heated through. Do not allow to boil. Tip: If you'd like it to be very thick, just let some of the water evaporate before you add the half and half. You could also add a little bit of heavy cream.