Creamy Corn Chowder with a Kick!

This is a creamy corn chowder with a bit of spice.  I love corn chowder.  The Pioneer Woman inspired me to add some spice to my existing corn chowder recipe which added a little more excitement and pizazz to this classic.

The makings of corn chowder:

You'll need:  Corn, red pepper, onion, garlic, bacon, chives, bay leaves, chilpotle peppers in adobo sauce, green chiles, heavy cream, chicken stock, masa flour, salt, and pepper.

Start by gathering and washing all the fresh ingredients:

I used six ears of corn, one red pepper, one medium sized yellow onion, and about 3/4 of a chilpotle pepper.  Of course if you like things spicy, you can always add more pepper.  Be careful though, those are spicy little things!

Next, dice up all the ingredients. Cut the corn off the cob. 

Cut about 6 slices of bacon into small pieces and begin to brown in a dutch oven. (Meanwhile, I also cook the rest of the package of bacon in a skillet on the side.  I like to add extra bacon to the soup as a topping later.)   As the fat starts to render and the bacon begins to brown a little, add in the onion.  Keep cooking until the onion is softened and the bacon is becoming crispy.   Add in the red peppers.  Let those cook for a few minutes until they too start to soften. Then add in two cloves of minced garlic, the diced chilpotle pepper, and a 4.5oz can of green chiles (chopped).  Lastly, add in the fresh corn.  Stir all of that around and let the flavors meld together for about 1-2 minutes.

Then add 32 ounces of chicken broth.  Really, add enough chicken broth to cover the mixture and then some.  I happened to use a 32 ounce box of chicken broth because that is what I had available.
Toss in the bay leaves. I used 4 but they were kind of small.

Let that all simmer on medium heat for about 45 minutes.

Mix about 1/2 cup of masa flour with water until it is a thick liquid-y consistency.  Add that to the soup and keep stirring.  Then stir in some heavy cream - about a cup or so.

Remove the bay leaves.  Add in chopped chives.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Garnish with additional bacon.  Cheese is good too.  I didn't have any cheese, but cheese makes a good topping as well!