Prepare by dicing the vegetables. You can also dice up the bacon before cooking (separately from the vegetables) or you can crumble the bacon after it is fried and cooled.

In a cast iron pan, fry the bacon until done. Drain (reserve the bacon grease) and set bacon aside.

To large soup pot, add the reserved bacon grease. Add onions and celery, sauté in bacon grease until tender.

Add broth, potatoes, thyme, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, then simmer until potatoes are done (15-30 min).

Add corn. Heat until corn is warm. (If using frozen corn, it can be added right to the soup, it will just take a little longer for it to warm up.)

In a separate bowl, combine milk and heavy whipping cream, then add to the soup pot. Heat until warm, stirring often so it doesn't burn.

Optional: Remove half of the soup into a separate bowl or pot and blend with an immersion blender, then add back to the original soup pot. This will thicken the soup and give it a heartier texture.

Finally, add the reserved bacon to the soup and stir. Serve and enjoy!