Soup on a snowy day

It's another very cold and snowy Sunday here and I decided to try another soup. I think Sunday is going to be soup night around here during the Winter. Here's a truly hearty chowder from The New England Soup Factory Cookbook. Recently, I made a corn chowder that turned out just kind of bland. So, when I saw this recipe, I had to try corn chowder again. This one's a winner! I baked up a batch of cream biscuits to go with it and it's the perfect meal for a day like today. I changed a couple of things in the recipe, but I've made note of it below in the directions.
I didn't quite have the amount of frozen corn on hand. So, I made do with about half of what the recipe calls for and I didn't think there was a lack of corn here. It's the slightest bit spicy due to the cayenne, but it's just a hint of spice.

Cheddar-Corn Chowder with Bacon and Scallions

ingredients:
1 pound bacon
1 yellow onion, peeled and chopped
3 carrots peeled and chopped
2 ribs celery, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
5-6 red potatoes chopped into 3/4 inch cubes
6 cups chicken stock
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
2 tsps ground coriander
2 packages of frozen kernel corn (16 0z)
2 cans (16 oz) creamed corn
1 pound sharp cheddar cheese, grated
2 C heavy cream
4 dashes Worcestershire sauce
kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
2 bunches scallions, sliced

1. I cooked the bacon in a frying pan until it was brown and crispy. I removed the cooked bacon and poured about 2 TB of the bacon drippings into my dutch oven.

2. I then added the onion, carrots and garlic. ( I didn't feel like chopping celery so I left it out.) Saute about 5 minutes.

3. I then added the potatoes, stock and cayenne. ( I didn't have any coriander so I left it out.)

4. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer for 35 minutes.

5. Time to add whole kernel corn, creamed corn, cheese, and cream (This isn't a low-calorie soup!)

6. Simmer an additional 7 minutes.

7. Season with Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper.

8. Stir in scallions and crumbled crispy bacon pieces. It's done!

Enjoy!