Rosemary Potato Corn Chowder on KUTV News

Today I was on the KUTV News at noon, showing Mary Nickles and Ron Bird how to cook Rosemary Potato Corn Chowder.  When I poured in the bacon bits, I dropped the little blue keep-fresh packet in the soup, but Mary helped me fish it out!  A few years ago she & I were both judges at the World Championship Dutch Oven Cook-Off, and I realized then that she's very knowledgable about cooking.

Here's the clip:
   http://www.kutv.com/recipes/features/fresh-kitchen/stories/vid_221.shtml

Here's the recipe, from my cookbook, "Soup's On!"

Rosemary Potato & Corn 
Chowder

2 14-oz. cans chicken broth (or 4 chicken bouillon cubes and 1 3/4 C. water)
1 28-oz. pkg. O¹Brien-style diced hash brown potatoes
1 3-oz. pkg. shelf-stable bacon bits (or about 3/4 C. of cooked, chopped bacon or 1 C. finely diced ham)
1 15-oz. can corn, drained
2 tsp. dried rosemary or 1 Tbsp. fresh rosemary
3 Tbsp. cornstarch
1/4 C. water
1 1/2 C. half-and-half, fat-free halfand-half, or milk
1 tsp. freshly ground pepper
Optional garnishes: grated cheddar cheese, bacon bits, rosemary Sprigs

Directions:
1.) Place chicken broth, potatoes, and bacon in a large pot over high heat.
2.) When mixture comes to a boil, reduce heat to keep soup gently boiling, about 10 minutes, or until potatoes are tender. Add corn and rosemary.
3.) Mix cornstarch and water to a smooth paste. Stir cornstarch mixture into gently boiling soup and continue stirring until soup thickens.
4.) Turn off heat and stir in milk or half-and-half and pepper, until mixture is well blended and soup rethickens.
5.) Taste soup and adjust seasonings as desired. Ladle into serving bowls; garnish each with a tsp. of shredded cheddar, bacon pieces, or a rosemary sprig.

Slow cooker directions: 
Place all ingredients except cornstarch and 1/4 C of water in a slow cooker on high for 3¬4 hours; on low for 5¬6 hours. Mix cornstarch and water into a smooth paste and stir into soup. Turn soup to high and leave lid off, stirring occasionally, for 20¬30 minutes, until soup thickens.

*Makes six servings.