My Mother's Cooking - New England Clam Chowder with Rice, Onions and Bacon

NEW ENGLAND CLAM CHOWDER WITH RICE, ONIONS AND BACON

My mother was an expert at putting a quick meal together with whatever ingredients she had on hand. We almost always had rice, onions and bacon in the house, so when she came home late from shopping, she would simply add a couple of cans of cream of mushroom soup and make an easy supper.

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Over the years, whenever I needed to make a quick, tasty meal, I would follow her inspiration. By experimenting with various soups, I found that the one that worked best for me was Chunky New England clam chowder. The contrast between the textures of the rice, the bacon and the potatoes is really nice. I also found that adding dried basil improved the flavor. Of course you are free to use any combination of soups and spices that you like, but I urge you to try this combination first.

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Before you start to make comparisons to risotto and complain that I should be using aborio rice, please remember that my mother never tasted authentic Italian cooking and nobody ever heard of aborio rice in North Central Wisconsin in the 1950’s

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Difficulty: Easy

Preparation Time: 30 Minutes

Cooking Time: 60 Minutes

Ingredients:

½ Lb. Thick Sliced bacon cut into ¾ inch strips

1-18.8 Oz. can of Campbell’s Chunky New England Clam Chowder

1 Medium Onion peeled and diced

1 Cup of Long Grain White Rice

1 Tablespoon of Dried Basil

Salt and Pepper to taste

Preparation:

1. Render the bacon in a three-quart saucepan until it just begins to brown but is not yet crisp.
2. Drain off about half of the fat and sweat the chopped onions with the bacon.
3. Then add the rice and continue cooking for two minutes while stirring constantly.
4. Add one cup of water and de-glaze the pan while stirring.
5. Add the can of New England clam chowder and rinse the can with an equal amount of warm water and add it to the mixture.
6. Add the basil and salt and pepper as desired according to taste.
7. Mix thoroughly and simmer for about 30 minutes over low heat with occasional stirring to keep it from sticking to the bottom of the can
8. Continue cooking until the rice absorbs most of the water and the mixture is the consistency of cooked oatmeal.

Serving Suggestions

Serve with a salad or a green vegetable such as asparagus, broccoli or peas.

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