Week 37, Recipe 1: Au Gratin Potato Chicken Chowder

NOTES

• The original recipe, from Taste of Home, calls for 1 pkg (4.9 oz) au gratin potatoes. I peeled and sliced up my own potatoes - about 2 medium - and sliced them very thinly with the slicer on my cheese grater meant for slicing potatoes. You could also slice them thinly with a knife.
• Gluten-free eaters - not sure if this would be gluten-free if you bought the packaged potatoes so check the ingredients (which I'm sure you do all the time anyway).

INGREDIENTS

• 4 slices bacon
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 2 medium potatoes, sliced au gratin or sliced thinly with a knife (see NOTE above)
• 2 c. hot water
• 1 1/2 c. milk - 2% or whole
• 1 1/4 c. chicken broth
• 1 15 1/4 oz can corn or 1 small pkg frozen corn
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper
• 3 c. cooked shredded or cubed chicken (if you buy a rotisserie chicken, you'll use 1/2 for this recipe and 1/2 for Recipe 4)
• 2/3 c. evaporated milk

DIRECTIONS
1. In a large soup pot, cook bacon slices (you can cut them up if necessary) until crisp. Drain on a paper towel and crumble when cool. Reserve 2 tbsp of bacon drippings in the soup pot.
2. Saute onion in the bacon drippings until tender over low heat. Add the potatoes through pepper and cook, uncovered, at a low simmer for 15-20 minutes or until potatoes are tender, stirring occasionally.
3. Reduce heat and stir in chicken, evaporated milk and bacon; heat through. Discard bay leaf.