Healthy New England Clam Chowder

It's comfort food at it's best.  This week has been a cold one and my middle child told me he wanted to try clam chowder so I took him up on that and made a quick & healthy Feingold friendly & Clean Eating clam chowder...Enjoy!!!












New England Clam Chowder
Serves 5

Ingredients:

• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 4 slices bacon, chopped (make sure it's approved)
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme, or 1 teaspoon dried
• 1 medium red potato, diced
• 1 8-ounce bottle clam juice
• 1 bay leaf
• 3 cups low-fat milk (I used 1%)
• 1/2 cup organic 1/2 & 1/2
• 1/3 cup whole wheat flour
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 6-ounce cans chopped baby clams, rinsed
• 2 scallions, thinly sliced

Directions:

1. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add bacon and cook until crispy, 4 to 6 minutes. Transfer half of the cooked bacon to a paper towel-lined plate with a slotted spoon. Add onion and thyme to the pan; cook, stirring, until beginning to soften, about 2 minutes. Add potato, clam juice and bay leaf. Bring to a simmer, cover and cook until the vegetables are just tender, 8 to 10 minutes.
2. Whisk milk, 1/2 & 1/2, flour and salt in a medium bowl. Add to the pan and return to a simmer, stirring, over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring, until thickened, about 2 minutes. Add clams and cook, stirring occasionally, until the clams are just cooked through, about 3 minutes more.
3. To serve, discard bay leaf. Ladle into bowls and top each serving with some of the reserved bacon and scallions.
   
   VERDICT: This was wonderful...easy, thick and tasty with only a fraction of the fat of regular clam chowder.  My family loved it and the only complaint was where is the bread bowls LOL