Chicken Corn Chowder in the Slow Cooker

• Ingredients:
• 1-1.5 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
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• 12 ounces red potatoes, sliced and diced thin
• 1 sweet onion, diced thin
• 3 carrots, peeled and diced
• 2 stalks celery, diced thin
• 2 cups corn kernels, frozen, canned or roasted
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• 4 cups chicken broth or bone broth
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/4 tsp paprika
• salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
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• 1/2 cup half and half (milk mixed with heavy cream)
• 4 tablespoons cornstarch
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

• 1 package of bacon, baked in the oven til crisped and browned, then diced
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives or scallions
• shredded cheddar cheese
• a crusty, crackling baguette

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This will be a 7-8 hour event, with 3 hours of slow cooking the chicken, then 4-5 hours slow cooking the soup.

I started with putting uncooked chicken breasts in my slow cooker, then poured about a cup of bone broth on top of them. Take the 3 cloves of garlic and sprinkle/spread on top of the chicken. Add some salt and pepper on top, then close the slow cooker and cook on high for 3 hours. I turned my breasts twice while cooking because I can't let things alone, but it's not necessary to do that.

With about 20 minutes left on the breasts, I chopped up all the veggies. I used a bag of mixed baby potatoes, so there were red, gold, and purple in there. You can use all red if you like. I always dice onions and celery very small and thin, so that upon cooking they kinda melt away into the liquid, or at least you never bite into a big chunk. Usually I keep the shredded carrots on hand, because peeling and chopping them is just another thing that takes time. Whatever carrot shape you like works here -- shredded, waffle, or thin rounds.

When the chicken is done, put the breasts on a plate and shred with two forks. The goal is medium bite-sized pieces. You can leave some bigger pieces, because that's fun. However, refrain from turning it into confetti -- not really what we're going for.

Dump all the things back into the slow cooker -- chicken, potatoes, celery, onions, carrots, and frozen corn. Pour the rest of the broth in. Sprinkle in the thyme, oregano, paprika, salt, and pepper. Give it a few tosses with a large spoon to mix the seasonings and the veggies. Cook on high for 5 hours, stirring every hour.

The last 30 minutes of cooking are when you add the last ingredients to make the soup thick and creamy. Stir the half and half, cornstarch, and butter in a small bowl. When it's totally smooth and combined, stir it into the crockpot. If your soup seems too thin, you can add little amounts of cornstarch to thicken it. Always go slow when adding things to thicken soups, and give it a few minutes rest to absorb and recheck. Your soup may thicken suddenly after a minute and could end up TOO thick if you added too much.

Now is a good time to cook the bacon in the oven. Carefully line a large pan with foil, making sure the foil comes up the sides of every side of your pan. That keeps bacon grease from leaking under the foil and making a mess. Lay bacon strips flat side-by-side, and cook at 350 for 20-25 minutes until brown and crispy. After baking, crumble or dice the cooled bacon for the top of the finished soup. This will be a lot of bacon -- save some for tomorrow! Also -- now is the time to chop your scallions or chives.

Serve hot chowder with crumbled bacon, chopped scallions, sprinkles of your favorite cheddar cheese on top, and a hunk of a crusty, crackling baguette on the side. Cool the leftover chowder and freeze in small containers to have simple meals ready for reheating later.