Kayem Bacon, Corn & Shrimp Chowder

Ingredients

6 slices of Kayem Double Smoked Bacon
1lb uncooked shrimp, peels and tails removed
2 cups of corn
3 leeks, white parts only, rinsed well and finely sliced
6 cloves of garlic, minced
4 red potatoes, peeled and cubed
4 cups of chicken broth (can substitute vegetable broth if preferred)
1 1/2 cups milk
1 1/2 cups light cream
Extra bacon slices and fresh parsley for garnish

Directions

• Chop the bacon, and cook until crisp in the bottom of your dutch oven. Once cooked, remove from pot and drain on paper towels. Reserve 1 1/2 tbsp of the bacon drippings in the pot. Add sliced leeks to the drippings, and cook over medium heat for about 8 minutes until soft and translucent. Add the minced garlic and cook for another minute, before adding in the broth and milk.
• Once heated, add the corn and potatoes and simmer for about 25 minutes until the potatoes are soft. Ladle out about 2-3 cups of the soup mixture into a blender, and blend until smooth. Return blended soup back into the dutch oven.
• While the soup is simmering, chop the shrimp into quarters. Add the shrimp back into the pot, and cook for a few minutes until they turn pink. Stir in the light cream, season with salt and pepper, and bring back up to a simmer.
• Garnish with additional bacon and chopped parsley, and serve with a large piece of crusty bread.