Bean Bacon Chowder: Because, Bacon

I’m going to tell you about a soup called Bean Bacon Chowder, but we should really just call it The Soup I’ve Been Eating For Almost Forever. I grew up with my mom making this for us often, and it’s one of my favorites.

It’s delicious, you guys. There is bacon. And baked beans. And thick chowdery broth. And….yum.

The original recipe, which came from an old copy of the Better Homes and Garden Soups and Stews Cookbook, is a little different than the recipe my mom eventually settled on making. I mean, once you know the “real recipe” you can make adjustments. Which, in our case, usually resulted in a whole lot of dumping without measuring.

I mean, isn’t that how you cook?

However, using the actual recipe ensures that the soup will actually thicken into a pot of something chowder like, so before you start experimenting with ratios, just stick to the original.

Want to watch my video instead of reading the how to?

Ingredients for Bean Bacon Chowder

6 slices of bacon, cut up
1 cup chopped onion
2 Tbsp Flour
3 cups milk
3 med. potatoes, diced

Salt, pepper, and thyme to taste
1 (22 oz) cans baked beans

How to make Bean Bacon Chowder

Cook bacon and onion until bacon is browned and onions become translucent. Then blend in the flour. The purpose of the flour is to act as a thickener for the chowder.

Slowly add the milk, a little bit at a time. This is the part of the soup where you need to exercise patience because if you pour a whole bunch of milk in at once, the soup will not thicken. Little by little (2-3ish Tbsp at a time?) add milk and stir. Repeat (slowly) until all milk is mixed in and you should end up with a nice thick chowdery base.

(Ahem—I can tell you from personal experience that should you rush this process and end broth that doesn’t thicken, Bean Bacon Chowder is still delicious with a thin broth. Cook and stir until bubbly.)

Next, add diced potatoes. You can also add salt, pepper, and thyme (to taste).

Simmer (do not boil!) for about 30 minutes or until the potatoes are tender. Stir often, or you will have a scorched mess on the bottom of your pot.

The last step is to add the beans.

Then heat through. Stare at its awesomeness and get ready to eat.

And be happy. Because, soup.

(When we would eat this as kids, my mom would sometimes use a pound of bacon, way more flour, almost a gallon of milk, 4 cans of beans… you get the picture. Try Bean Bacon Chowder with the original measurements, then adjust it for your needs.)

Try serving this yumtastic soup in homemade bread bowls or with a side of One Rise Baguette. The yum factor is high, y’all. So good!

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Baked Bean Bacon Chowder

A favorite soup from my childhood, Baked Bean Bacon Chowder boasts an “uncommon” combination of ingredients (bacon, onions, milk, flour, baked beans) that creates something everyone wants seconds of!

Ingredients

• 6 slices bacon, cut up
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 Tbsp all purpose flour
• 3 cups milk
• 3 potatoes, diced
• 1 22 oz can baked beans

Instructions

1. Saute bacon and onions together until the bacon is browned and the onions become translucent.

2. Add flour to bacon and onions and stir to combine.

3. Very slowly, a few tablespoons at a time, add the milk, stirring after each addition. The flour is being used as a thickener for this chowder, and if you add the milk too quickly, the soup will not thicken. BE PATIENT!

4. After all of the milk is stirred in, add the diced potatoes. You may also add salt, pepper, and thyme to taste. Cook and stir until bubbly.

5. Let this simmer at a low heat for 30(ish) minutes until the potatoes are tender. Stir frequently (every five minutes or so) so the chowder does not get scorched/stuck to bottom of pot.

6. After potatoes are tender, stir in the baked beans. Heat through. Eat and be happy.