Creamy Corn Chowder

I know it's May and it's probably about time to move away from soups and chowders...but spring is JUST now arriving to the Pacific Northwest. We had this chowder about two weeks ago and I just remembered I need to add it to the blog. It is SO.GOOD. Found it on a favorite food blog , Our Best Bites, that I frequent and I would not change a thing about this recipe! Check out the blog, they have some great recipes - I will be adding another one I found on that site. Mmmmm. You know, I'm not a huge corn eater typically, but THIS was too good and I loved that it wasn't full of heavy cream or half & half but was very rich and creamy. My only complaint was that there were no leftovers!

Creamy Corn Chowder
Recipe by Our Best Bites

2 Tbsp. butter
1/4 c. all-purpose flour
1 c. water
2 regular-sized chicken bouillon cubes, 1 Knorr chicken bouillon cube, or 2 tsp. chicken base)
(instead of water & bouillon, I used a cup of chicken broth)
2 1/2 c. milk (skim or 1% work just fine and lighten it up considerably)
1/2 lb. bacon
1 small-medium onion, minced
2 red potatoes, diced into small cubes
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1-1/2 C frozen fresh corn (or 1 can corn)
Salt and pepper to taste
A few dashes of hot sauce (like Tabasco or Cholula)

Fry bacon until crisp. In the meantime, melt butter over low heat in a soup pot. When melted, add flour to make a roux and whisk until it comes together in a little ball. Add water and whisk until completely combined and there are no lumps. Add milk and chicken base or bouillon and bring to a simmer. Add potatoes, onions, and garlic, and simmer (but don't boil!), stirring very frequently, for about 20 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Add crumbled bacon and corn and heat through. Add a few drops of hot sauce and then salt to taste. The reason why I don't have an exact measurement is that while the soup REALLY needs salt, bacon also really differs in its saltiness, so it can be super easy to make this soup waaaaay too salty. Start with about 1/4 tsp., give it a few minutes, and then add more if you need it. Ladle into bowls and sprinkle with extra bacon and/or cheese if you want. Because, you know, if there's anything a perfectly healthy bowl of soup (it's only 3 Weight Watchers points!) needs, it's some extra bacon and cheese!
**The original recipe said it serves 6-8 but my family of 4 ate the whole thing. :)