Midwestern Clam Chowder

• 8 slices smoked bacon (or deli smoked ham equivalent to reduce fat in recipe).
• 1 small can of FINELY DICED clams (which you must thoroughly drain, squeezing all of the juice out of the clams by pressing down on the loose lid while draining).
• 4-5 medium potatoes.
• 1 small onion diced fine in a food processor.
• (Possibly 1 cube of chicken bullion if you want more than smoked bacon flavor at the end, but you might not...)
• Have a QUART of fat free half and half ready and add it as necessary to cover ingredients and make soup while cooking.
• 1/2 tsp. garlic powder.
• 1 tsp. dill weed.
• 1/4 tsp. ground black pepper.
• 1/2 tsp. salt.
• (Optional 1 tablespoon steel cut oats to thicken.)

1. Chop then lightly fry the smoked bacon. Drain the fat, or just use some deli smoked ham diced fine in your food processor instead of bacon.
2. Dice the clams fine in your food processor, even if they come finely diced out of the can. The idea here, is a virtual puree, where the clams are concerned. (Let people think the diced ham or finely chopped bacon are the bits of clam.)
3. If you use the bacon, drain most of the grease away when you've got it mostly cooked.
4. Add a few cups of half and half and the steel cut oats and finely diced onion, and boil/cook for half an hour until the oats and the bacon are both thoroughly cooked. While this is happening, cook the potatoes to baked potato consistency in the microwave, then peel them, and chop into big chunks.
5. When the steel cut oats are done, put everything else in the pot with them, and add more half and half if it has cooked down too much to cover everything to your desired consistency. Let everything cook on medium low for a while until it has all cooked down into a thick gruel, and the dill weed isn't just floating on top. Taste it. If you like it, fine. If not, you may want to try a dash more salt, or the reserved cube of chicken bullion mentioned in the ingredients.

bacon, thoroughly, potatoes, onion, chicken bullion, ready, garlic, dill, ground black pepper, salt, oats

Taken from www.epicurious.com/recipes/member/views/midwestern-clam-chowder-50169414 (may not work)