Clam Chowder (or is it?)

You've not seen a recipe like this! 

I've tried searching for a clam chowder and even a potato soup recipe with added ingredients, and didn't find anything suitable for my idea, so I created my own recipe.

It has the usual clam chowder ingredients, like onion celery, potatoes, and the sauce making stuff like butter, flour, and cream.

But this one has a dry potato soup mix that already has the flour, milk, flour, and spices in it. It's cheating, I know, but it saves time and we like the soup mix spice blend.

So to this, I added the vegetables: celery, carrots, red potatoes (because I like the texture better than russet), fresh kernel corn, clams, and bacon bits. 

Made in a large stock pot, then refrigerated overnight, and transferred to a crockpot the next morning to gently heat up for lunch.

Holy cow, was it good!

I love clam chowder, but this was the great!

We will definitely be making this again!

Here's the recipe:

(and it makes enough for a crowd)

4-1/2 cups Augason Farms Potato Soup Mix

9 cups water

1/2 lb of baby carrots, sliced

3 stalks celery, sliced diagonaly, about 1/2 inch

8 medium sized red potatoes, peeled, chopped in 1 inch cubes

kernels sliced off 2 ears of fresh sweet corn

4 T bacon bits

2 cans minced clams, drained

drizzle or two of olive oil

Boil the potatoes until half done, or until a fork can go half way through a cube. Remove from heat, drain, and set aside.

In a large stock pot, mix the dry soup mix with all of the water, stirring til smooth. Heat to nearly boiling, then reduce heat to low. Add the carrots, celery, potatoes, corn, and bacon bits. Stir to keep blended. Add clams, and drizzle olive oil over surface, mix well. Heat for 20 minutes,

stirring occasionally to blend. Remove from heat and allow to cool, covered, about 2 hours.

Transfer to large covered container, and refrigerate overnight.

In the morning, pour soup mix into large crockpot. Heat on high for an hour then turn to low heat for 3 hours. Serve hot with crackers or bread.

Store soup in refrigerator.