Camp Chowder (Recipe)

Ingredients

4 slices bacon

1 cup chopped onions

4 potatoes (1 1/4 pounds) cooked, and cubed

2 6 1/2-ounce can minced clams, undrained

1/4 teaspoon pepper

2 cups whole milk

Steps

1. In a large saucepan, cook the bacon until crisp.  Remove the bacon and place on paper towels to drain.  Reserve 1 tablespoon of the bacon drippings in the saucepan.

2. Crumble the bacon and set aside.

3. Cook the onion in the reserved drippings until the onion is tender but not brown.  Add the potatoes, undrained clams and pepper.  Heat just to boiling.

4. Add the milk and heat through; do not boil.  Ladle the soup into individual soup bowls or mugs and sprinkle each serving with bacon.

Tips:

To make this chowder easier o prepare when camping, use one 15-ounce can of evaporated milk and 1/2 cup water instead of the whole milk.

If you are camping, you might want to save time and fuel by cooking enough bacon for the next day's breakfast at the same time you cook the bacon for the chowder.  Allow the cooked bacon to cool; then wrap and store it in your cooler.  Reheat in the morning.

For a flavor variation, you can add 1/4 teaspoon of dried thyme with the potatoes, clams and pepper.

You can save time by not peeling the potatoes before cooking and cubing them.  Just scrub thoroughly under running water.

From : America's Best-Loved Community Recipes