Chicken and Corn Chowder

I hate to admit that I only took ONE picture of this meal. I completely forgot to take one after serving it, so you'll have to make due with the single pic of this recipe in the crockpot. It was a really filling soup, I enjoyed it. Of course it's a soup so the husband only tolerated it. :) I left out the creamed corn and the chiles in adobo as I didn't have them on hand, and honestly they weren't missed. I just added a little more regular frozen corn and some diced jalapenos instead.

Chicken and Corn Chowder

Ingredients:

• 2 slices bacon, chopped
• 1 large onion, minced
• 6 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 Tbs tomato paste
• 2 tsp minced fresh thyme, or 1/2 tsp dried
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 5 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 pound red potatoes, scrubbed and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 2 carrots, peeled and sliced 1/4-inch thick
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of excess fat
• salt and pepper
• 1 cup frozen corn kernels
• 1 (15-oz) can creamed corn
• 1/2 cup heavy cream or half-and-half
• 2 tsp minced chipotle chiles in adobo
• 3 Tbs minced fresh basil

Directions:
Cook bacon in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat until crisp and browned, 5 minutes. Remove to a paper towel-lined plate using a slotted spoon (You can either add to the crockpot or keep out and crumble on top after the soup is done). Add the chopped onion and cook until softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the garlic, tomato paste, and thyme and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Whisk in 2 cups of the broth, scraping up any browned bits. Transfer to slow cooker.

Add remaining 3 cups of broth, potatoes, carrots, and bay leaves to the slow cooker. Season chicken with salt and pepper and nestle into the mixture. Cover and cook on low until chicken is tender, 4 to 6 hours.Transfer chicken to a cutting board, and allow to cool slightly before shredding it into bite-sized pieces. Add it back to the slow cooker, along with the creamed corn, frozen corn, cream, and chipotle chiles. Continue to cook until everything is heated through, another 10 to 15 minutes. Remove the bay leaves, stir in the basil, and season with additional salt and pepper to taste. Serve.