Kicked Up Corn Chowder with Chicken

• 4-6 slices of bacon, diced
• 2 cups cooked chicken, cut into chunks
• 1 medium red pepper, chopped
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 6 cups chicken broth
• 3 medium potatoes, cut into 1/2 inch chunks
• 2 cups frozen corn
• 1 cup fat-free half and half
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 3 teaspoons salt, divided
• 1 teaspoon ground pepper
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Directions

Heat a heavy soup pot (I like to use enameled cast iron pots for soup) over medium-high heat. Add 4-5 slices of chopped bacon and cook until crispy. Remove the bacon from the pan to a paper towel to drain. You'll use this bacon as a garnish on the finished soup. Pour the fat from the pan into a small bowl. Return one tablespoon of the bacon fat to the pan. Reduce the heat to medium.

Add the onion, red pepper and celery to the pan. Season with half the salt and the 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper. Cook until the onion is tender, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and the chopped jalapenos, then sprinkle the flour over the vegetables. Stir to combine and cook for one minute.

Add the chicken broth and the potatoes. Bring the soup to a boil and reduce to simmer, cooking until the potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes. Add the half and half, corn, chicken, cayenne pepper, bay leaves and chopped parsley. Taste and add the rest of the salt, if needed. Simmer gently for 10-15 minutes. Garnish with a sprinkling of the crispy bacon bits.