Ham and Potato Corn Chowder

1/2 pound bacon, cooked crisp and chopped
1 1/2 - 2 cups ham, diced
4 medium red potatoes (I used 3 bakers)
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 dashes of hot sauce (Tobasco)
2 cups of chicken stock (I make my own, but Kitchen Basics is a good choice)
3 cups of cream-style corn
Salt and pepper to taste
2 cups half and half (I used Fat Free Half-and-Half)
Chives, chopped for garnish

This is great as a main dish with a crispy salad on the side.

There are ways to lighten this recipe up even more...use turkey bacon (or leave it out completely), make your own chicken stock (it's healthier anyway and you can control the sodium), make your own corn chowder or find a lighter version with lower sodium.

in a medium stock pot add olive oil, potatoes, onions, oregano, backon and hot sauce. Cook over medium-low heat until onions are translucent. pour in the chicken stock, corn and ham. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and cover pot. Simmer 20 minutes, stirring frequently, until potatoes are tender. In a small sauce pan, warm the half and half, but do not boil. Add the warm half and half to the chowder just before serving. Garnish with chopped chives.

Serving Size: Makes 8 1-cup servings

Number of Servings: 8

Recipe submitted by SparkPeople user SHJ1998.