Yum! Yum! New England Clam Chowder

I found this recipe in the Northampton Press this week. I've never made New England clam chowder, but it looked pretty easy to make, so I thought I'd give it a shot. We all really liked it :)

Recipe:

1/2 cup butter
1/2 onion, diced
1 teaspoon minced garlic
2 stalks celery, diced
1 teaspoon dried thyme (If there's anything you'd cut back on a bit, this'd be it!)
1/2 cup flour
8 (6.5 ounce) cans clams with juice
2 cups cooked diced potatoes
1 quart half-and-half
3 strips bacon, cooked and diced (I used 4 strips)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
3 dashes Tabasco sauce

1.  Melt butter.  Add onion, garlic, celery and thyme.  Saute until onions are transparent.  Add flour; cook, stirring 5 minutes.

2.  Add clams and clam juice.  Cook over medium-low heat 20-30 minutes (do not boil).

3.  Add potatoes and half-and-half; heat on low.  Do not boil or cream may break.

4.  Stir in bacon, salt, pepper and Tabasco.  Makes 2 quarts.

(Now this is the part I didn't look at until after we were done :)  Per 1 cup serving: 448 calories, 24 gms fat, 193 mg chol, 36 gm protein, 26 gm carbs, 1 gm fiber, 1227 mg sodium.  Minor details....)