Thick New England Clam Chowder - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1/2 lb bacon, diced
1 1/2 cups chopped onions
1 1/2 cups water
4 cups peeled and cubed potatoes
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
ground black pepper
3 cups half-and-half
3 tablespoons butter
2 (10 ounce) cans minced clams with juice
1 (15 ounce) can corn
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
corn starch or water, mixture

Preparation

Place diced bacon in large stock pot over medium-high heat. Cook until almost crisp; add onions, and cook 5 minutes. (do not drain bacon oil).
Stir in water and potatoes, and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, and cook uncovered for 15 minutes, or until potatoes are fork tender.
Mash up 1/2 of the potatoes with a fork.
Pour in half-and-half, and add butter. Cook, constantly stirring, for 5-10 minutes.
Put corn starch and enough water in a bowl to make a smooth liquid. Put into soup, constantly stiring. After a 5 minutes, add more corn starch and water if not as thick as you would like.
Stir in clams and all of clam liquid. Cook for about 5 minutes, or until heated through. Do not allow to boil.
Add cheddar cheese and corn. Stir until cheese is melted.
Serve and enjoy.