Manhattan Clam Chowder

Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients

• 3 slices bacon
• 2 celery stalks, finely chopped
• 3 medium onions, finely chopped
• 4 small potatoes, diced
• 2 carrots, diced
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon Louisiana Hot Sauce or to taste
• 1 pint minced clams or 2 (6 1/2 ounce) cans
• 1 (28 ounce) can stewed tomatoes, cut up
• 1/2 cup snipped fresh parsley

Instructions

1. Cook the bacon in a skillet over medium high heat until crisp, about 5 minutes.
2. Drain the bacon on paper towels.
3. Crumble the bacon into a slow cooker.
4. Discard the bacon drippings, leaving about 1 teaspoon in the skillet.
5. Sauté the celery and onions in the bacon drippings in the same skillet until golden, 3 to 4 minutes.
6. Transfer the onion mixture to the slow cooker.
7. Stir in the potatoes, carrots, thyme, pepper and hot sauce.
8. Drain the liquid from the clams into a pint measuring cup. Add enough water to it to make 2 cups of liquid.
9. Add the clam liquid water mixture - not the clams - to the slow cooker. Stir in the tomatoes.
10. Cover and cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hours or on HIGH for 4 to 6 hours.
11. During the last hour of cooking, stir in the minced clams.
12. Cover and cook for 1 hour.
13. Stir in the parsley and cook for 15 minutes.