New England Clam Chowder

Reading the reviews before making this recipe I made the following changes: I used bottled clam juice instead of the water (1 ½ cups); 2 cups half-and-half and one-cup heavy cream instead of 3 cups half-and-half, and 3 - 10oz. cans of clams. The other adjustment I made was to use 1-cup ham instead of bacon as I find that bacon gets to soggy in soups, the ham is a perfect substitute and give the soup a bit more bite.

I was looking forward to this recipe and followed it exactly. I made no changes and was very disappointed with how it turned out. The soup was very watery and had an unusual texture. I also think it was just a tad bit too chunky for my tastes (cook the potatoes longer?). I plan on looking for additional clam chowder recipes to try and leave this one alone.

Wonderful chowder with a couple of minor modifications to suit our preferences. I appreciate you posting this recipe as I'd never made a creamy chowder before, and needed a good, basic guideline & procedure to follow. I cooked the chopped onions and diced bacon in a few tablespoons of melted butter, then added a couple of tablespoons of flour thus creating a roux. Otherwise, I followed the recipe, but omitted water and substituted more clam juice instead, doubled the potatoes. After the potatoes were cooked through in the clam juice, I reduced the heat to a low simmer, then I added twice the amount of clams (I used half minced clams and half chopped clams), and used 1 quart half & half with about a pint of heavy cream. I stirred it often making sure the cream wasn't allowed to boil. I threw in a couple of tablespoons of dried parsely, and a couple of teaspoons of dried dill weed. I served this at a potluck with fresh french bread, and got huge raves, and lots of recipe requests. Thank you!!! 07/15/2012: Made this again last night...just delicious! I've found that precooking the bacon til crisp then adding to the roux of butter, onions and flour makes a huge difference. Also, replacing all water with clam juice adds great flavor.

Great base for Clam Chowder! I like my clam chowder a little soupy but chunky so I used equal parts water, clam juice and 2% milk (1 and 1/2 cups) and I also left out the bacon to keep it light. To thicken I added 2 tablespoons of flour to the sauté of onions, celery and butter to make a roux. I let the clams (2 cans of minced and 1 chopped) warm on the stove in a separate pot with the clam juice and water. Then I added the clams with liquid to the roux. Brought to a boil and added the milk and partially cooked cubed potatoes. I used Oregano and a little garlic; it was a huge hit!

A good start for chowder base. I use salt pork rather than bacon. I only use clam broth and begin by cooking a couple of potatoes till mushy to give the broth some thickness. A real New England Clam Chowder NEVER thickens with flour or cornstarch. That will change the flavor and texture completely. Light cream and freshly ground pepper are added to the hot chowder just before adding the clams. I have never used canned clams, but I'm sure they are similar to fresh. I don't trust a chowder that "you can stand a spoon in". I make a simiar corn chowder with chicken broth and celery when the corn is fresh and plentiful.

I've been making a clam chowder recipe very much like this for years (Mom's recipe) but decided to give this one a try instead. I loved the addition of the bacon, however I prefer Mom's way of boiling the potatoes in a seperate pot and then adding them to the 1/2 & 1/2 (without the water). It makes for a much creamier chowder. This was excellent though, the only changes I made were to use 3 cans of whole baby clams and to thicken it a little with some cold water/flour. Thanks for the recipe!

Great recipe. Instead of 3 cups of half and half, I used 1 pint (2 cups) of half and half and one cup of 2% milk. Also, I used clam juice instead of water, and stirred a bit of corn starch at the end to thicken it up. My mother who hates clams even loved it!!!

I used two 6 & 1/2 oz cans of clams & reserved the juice from both...using clam juice & a very rich, homemade chicken broth instead of water. I used Old Bay instead of salt & since I used baby yukons, I just scrubbed them really well instead of peeling them. I also gave them a light mash before adding the half & half. That helps thicken up the soup w/out adding flour or cornstarch. I was out of half & half so I used half heavy cream & half 2% organic milk. Served it w/ garlic breadsticks...yum yum!

I thought that the clam chowder could be thicker however, it was still tasty and most of my family liked it

This is a true New England clam chowder...In Gloucester Ma, you don't find chowders thickened with cornstarch or a flour rouix...THIS is how they are made...If you want a stronger clam flavor use bottled (or better yet, fresh) clam juice instead of water...DELISH!!!

I have been using this same basic recipe my whole life. Hearty enough for a main meal. I had a big meaty ham bone left from the holidays. I cut fat and meat off of that and substituted for the bacon. Being on the Chesapeake Bay I can get big chowder clams for about $2/doz. I steam them up and then use the water from the clams and from the steam pot as a substitute for the water in this recipe. I cut up my clams in larger pieces and still add the canned clams suggested in the recipe. Add extra potatoes or put in some instant mashed potatoe powder to thicken as needed. I sometimes add celery early on so it is soft and adds flavor.

Wow wow wow!! This tastes just like my favorite clam chowder at Outback Steakhouse. This is definiately tastes like New England Clam Chowder. I should know because I've lived in Boston all my life! I don't trust all clam chowders because they've tasted too bland, too watery or too dry. This is perfect. My niece who doesn't like clam chowder loved this! My husband insisted on having it twice a week! LOL! I did take some advice from others. I used clam juice instead of water (added 1/2 cup more afterwards from canned clams). I added 3 cans of minced clams and 1 can of chopped clams. I used lots diced red potatoes(cooked almost 20 minutes covered, stirred it every 5 minutes). Also added lots of black pepper and parsley flakes. The first time I did it I thought it was a bit too watery for me so I put a tablespoon of flour at the end and let it slightly boil for about 5 minutes or so while stirring at the same time. Did not add any salt. PERFECT! If u know the taste of real NE Clam Chowder, you'll love this!

This was a good base recipe. I used chicken broth in place of the water. Since most canned clams are salty, I eliminated the salt. Added finely chopped celery with the onion. If you want to thicken the broth, be sure to do it BEFORE adding the drained clams. Once the clams are added the soup should be gently heated - definitely don't let the soup boil or heat too long or the clams become chewy. Added minced fresh parsley with the clams.

I am another New England girl. This tastes just like the good stuff with a few changes. I cooked the potatoes in a different pot with water. I then cooked the bacon and onions and added a few tbsp of flour to make a roux. My cans of minced clams were 6oz so I used three. I drained the clam juice into a cup and it measured to about 2 cups. When the flour was cooked I slowly added the 2 cups of clam juice. Threw the clams, half and half, and drained potatoes in and let it thicken up. No need for butter(the bacon fat and half and half are enough). It was wonderful to bring a little piece of home here to Illinois. Husband adored it! Every time we visit home he always has clam chowda in a bread bowl at Quincy Market. He said that this rates in his top bowls of clam chowda!

This was my first time making New England Clam Chowder for my Boston-native husband and he LOVED it! I followed others advice and doubled the potatoes and boiled them seperately. I omitted the water and the chowder came out super thick and creamy - without the use of flour! Thanks 1,000,000!

The flavor of this chowder is delicious. The only change I made was to thicken it because of personal preference. I mixed about 2 heaping tablespoons of cornstarch with the left over clam juice and added that in. Stirring I allowed that to cook in without boiling. I served this chowder in Italian Bread bowls from this site. YUM! It was perfect!

I thought that the clam chowder could be thicker however, it was still tasty and most of my family liked it

Very yummy! This was our Christmas Eve fare. I used instant potatoes to thicken this soup. I also used 1.5 cups clam juice from the clams instead of water, and added 6 cans of clams. I think I'd like celery in there with the onion as well, but overall this was quick and easy. And everyone loved it! Thanks for sharing!

I made changes to the basic recipe based on other reviews and put my own spin on it. I really liked the result and next time I'm even going to make my own bread bowls to dish the soup into. The changes I made were to add the butter at the same time as the onion and after a minute or two add in about 2-3 tbsp of flour. Once the things were incorporated I added a can of evaporated milk which was 12oz along with the water which I heated first before adding. I seasoned it then with salt, pepper, and a dash or two each of garlic powder, thyme, dill, basil, parsley, and coriander. I added in the potatoes and slow simmered everything. After 20 minutes I added 3 cans of clams along with all the juice and the half and half. I slow cooked everything for another 10-15 min. It came out wonderfully creamy and was a very good chowder.

I didn't make this recipe but I read reviews and agree with a lot of other users. Definitely use the clam juice, why more water than needed if you have flavoring available? If using whole clams, steam and use the broth. In addition to onion I also use celery, and cooked them in the bacon grease. added thyme to mixture then added flour to make the roux for thickening. Also use parsley, hint of tabasco, and worcestershire sauce. thicken to desired consistency

I did not care for this recipe. For flavor, I added a whole other can of clams, and cut down on the amount of potatoes! I also added a bottle of clam juice. I might have been eating plain milk.

This recipe is great!!! The only thing we do different is to add more clams but that is just because it is our preference. Recipe is great just the way it is

Oh this is good. I lived in Maine and have missed this stuff! Only thing I would change would be to add 3 cans of clams as 2 wasn't enough for me. Also- I took a bit of the soup out and blended it in the blender and put back in the pot to make it a bit thicker.

This was excellent and as good as our favorite fine dining restaurant, The Lobster Shoppe in Tacoma! I did not change the ingredients or amounts. I boiled my potatoes in another pan using slightly more water to cover the potatoes better and left uncovered as instructed, and did boil them until they were very soft and the water was cloudy-ish with the starch. I added this to the bacon and onions after making a roux with about 2 T of flour. Then followed the recipe as instructed. Wow, great soup and the whole family can't wait for me to make it again.

Very good. I used chicken broth in place of the water, and cubed ham in place of the bacon, but it was great, I also used whole baby clams one 10 oz can and all the juice. Like many of the others I added about 2 1/2 T of flour to the pan when cooking the onion, made for a nice thick chowder. Served in Bread Bowl will cook again Thank you

I've made this recipe twice now and my family likes it a lot. It is a little thin, so next time I think I might just add a little cornstarch to it, but the taste is great and it's really easy. It's great served with sourdough bread to dip in the soup!

YUMMY! This one was a hit with both my hubby and my son and stepson! I added extra clams and clam juice and to thicken it up I added some potato flakes. Simply awesome recipe!

This was amazing! When I cooked the onions, I added 3 T butter and 3T flour to make a roux. Added the water and 1% milk into the potatoes on low temp. I also used turkey bacon and at the end I added thinly shredded carrots for color. Will definitely make again!

wow!! i loved it.. im on a diet so i used 1/2 the cream and used 2% milk and instead of bacon i used real bacon bits and used low fat butter.. it was so delicious my husband wants me to make it at least once a week.. wow what it does for the taste buds.. lol.. who says low fat has to be YUCKY!!

Great starter! This is what I did different as per our taste and what I had on hand.... I used 3 cans of minced clams and 1 can of whole baby clams, 3 cups clam juice in place of water (2 from draining clams and 1 bottle), I did not peel my potatoes, diced them up rather small and covered the pot til they were done, I added basil, old bay, thyme and garlic... thickened just a little with instant potato flakes (didn't measure, just added a little at a time until it was where we like it). This was very good, with 4 of us there was very little leftover (maybe 1 serving). I served this with sourdough bread.

Best Clam Chowder Ever!! As suggested by a previous review, I cooked the potatoes for about 20 minutes ( covered). Also, I dissolved 2 spoons of flour in the clam's juice (which is cold, that's the only way flour gets dissolved ). I also added all the clam juice instead of half , and OMG!!! it came out amazing!! I was afraid to make it because the only clam chowder soup that my husband and I like is the one from Uno's Restaurant , but this one it came out much better. I can't still believe how good this recipe was. Thanks a lot!! =D

I have never made clam chowder before. My 8 yr old dug up clams over the weekend, so I was determined to use them in this soup. It was pretty easy, even though cutting up clams was kind of gross. I washed and diced the clams pretty small. I diced the bacon and fried it in the bottom of the soup pot. When it was crisp I added the onions and cooked until about done, then threw in the clams. In the meantime, I was simmering the diced potatoes in a bottle of clam juice, for a stronger clam taste. I mixed a cup of milk with some flour and poured that into the bacon/onion/clam mixture and stirred until thick. Once the potatoes were tender, I threw them w/the clam juice into the soup pot. I then added more milk until I reached the right consistancy. This was fantastic clam chowder - better than any I've had at a restaurant. I was pretty happy with myself! And my daughter was proud too, though she wouldn't touch the stuff with a 10 ft pole...

This is a good starter recipe but it is way too runny and not much flavor. I reduce the liquid and double the clams. Also add more bacon.

I have to admit,I haven't tried this recipe yet,it is close to my own though. However,true New England clam chowder is not supposed to be thick,thick,thick! Thicker dosen't mean better for most chowders.

A meal in a bowl! Yum! I tweaked a few things only because I didn't have all the ingredients. I cooked the onions and Bacon Bits (Imitation) in the butter. Used a steamer bag to cook the potatoe dices for 10 minutes while the onions were cooking. I did NOT add any water but used all the clam juice instead. I have a Jersey cow so just used 3 cups of whole milk with the cream still in it, instead of using 1/2 and 1/2. Oh, and I left the peels on the potatoes. It was a huge success and there is no more for leftovers. :( Served with fried cornbread topped with homemade butter and honey on it. Delicious!

I omitted the water and added a little corn starch to thicken. I also added 2 extra slices of chopped bacon and some parsley. It was awesome.

Great recipe.After reading the reviews,I discovered how few people have ever tried real New England clam chowder.It is a light and creamy chowder(not thick)with great clam flavor. Subbing clam juice for water and using fresh clams makes it that much better.

This was a great tasting, easy recipe, but I did make some changes, I used 3 cans of clams, I used pre-cooked potato, and a combination of both light cream, 2% milk and skim milk, I used chicken broth instead of water, I removed most of the cooked bacon before I put the onion in then sprinkled the bacon on the soup before serving. I also used a hand held mixer to thicken it up before I added the clams. I will make this again, thanks!

This was just ok. The flavor was good but it wasn't the consistency we like (too runny). I did try to thicken it up a bit but it still wasn't the way we liked it.

We LOVED this after making a few changes. We served it with sourdough bread. DELICIOUS!! 1) Cook the bacon and onion with a tablespoon of butter. 2) Add 2 tablespoons of flour to the onion and bacon mixture. 3) I cut the potatoes into sticks rather than cubed them and cooked in the full amount of water, covered. 4) I added some thyme and used all of the clam juice.

Delicious. Tastes just like this restaurant in Boston. After reading reviews, I added a little more flour (I like thick chowder) and let the potatoes cook covered. My entire family ate this wanting seconds and thirds. Thank you for posting this!

Fantastic!! Will make again & again. Very easy, thanks for posting!

Extremely good--6 stars on a scale of 1 to 5! We substituted clam juice for the water, used Kosher salt rather than iodized (didn't decrease amount, however) and put in half whipping cream and half 1% milk rather than half-and-half. We also only used two 6.5 oz cans of chopped clams (put them in the food processor to make them a little bit smaller). I was worried that wouldn't be enough, but it was! It was absolutely delicious and our friends were quite impressed. It was a little thin so my husband thickened it with a mixture of cornstarch and milk. Very, very good. This was the first time we'd made clam chowder from scratch, and we will not be looking for another recipe; this is the one!

After I sautéed 1 cup of onions in 1 T. of margarine and a few shakes of garlic powder, salt and pepper and Old Bay Seasoning (to taste), I boiled 3 cups of potatoes with a bottle of clam juice and the clam juice from 2 cans of clams. When the potatoes were soft, I mashed a few of them in the pot for thickening (recipe listed is much too thin for chowder), then added a cup of half and half and 2 T. of margarine. I simmered this for 5 minutes and stirred in the clams for 5 minutes more. Clam juice gives it more flavor and the mashed potatoes thickens the chowder without giving it a flour taste if you use flour. (If you prefer add real bacon bits from a jar for a bacon taste.) It was DELICIOUS!!

didn't taste right

OK for a basic recipe, but I made the following changes: added more potatoes and doubled the clams, added sliced celery, old bay seasoning, bay leaves and used potato buds (about 1 cup) to thicken the soup - gave it better consistency and texture.

I LOVE New England clam chowder, however, I found this recipe to be just "OK". I prefer a "creamy" soup. This one is WAY too thin. Maybe it's supposed to be this way (it called for quite a bit of liquid).... I may try this again before giving up, but thicken with flour or cornstarch, use heavy cream instead of half-and-half or puree some of the potatoes to give it that creamy texture I am looking for. I do think there are recipes on this site that would better suit my taste. As is, deserving of 1 star (sorry!). Thanks for sharing anyways!

I made this soup last night and it was fantastic! It is definitely not a very thick chowder but delicious none the less. The only difference I made was using clam juice instead of water and added more minced clams just because of personal preference. Wonderful

I followed the recipe to a "T" and this came out DELICIOUS. I live in New England and can get Clam Chowder anywhere and this came out just as delicious as any fantastic restaurant I have ever had it in. If you can't get access to good ole New England clam chowder then this is the recipe to make!!!!!!!

My husband has been asking for some clam chowder found this resipe we both had seconds really really good did do some suggestions from other reviews used more potatoes, 4 cans of whole clams with 2 cans of the juice, used all heavy cream, and used whole bottle of clams juice plus the water, and addded enough enough corn starch with some of the extra juice from clams to thicken soup just because we like it thicker a really good recipe and a keeper thank you

We liked this, but most of my family was in agreement - it doesn't need the butter, it does need celery, and it needs to be thickened. As a base, this is a good recipe, but this isn't a recipe that I really think will be memorable to us. I'll probably use it as a base recipe again, but will definitely change some things up.

I was so disappointed :( Definitely have to make a roux to thicken it. Added a little worcestershire sauce like someone else recommended. Wish I had boiled the potatoes in clam juice.

This was easy to make and was every bit as good as I hoped. My family loved it too.

I live in New England and love taking bites of clams with every spoonful so next time I will add an extra can of clams maybe even two!

This is hurt yourself good. I added a splash of sherry and it came out GREAT.

Really good chowder. I made it to go with clam cakes (fritters). The only thing I did different was that I added a can of cream of potato soup because so many reviewers said it was watery and being New Englanders we like our chowder creamier. Adding the can of soup made it perfect. This reminds me of summers at Cape Cod.

OMG!! This was amazing. I took the advise of the other reviewers and cooked the potatoes covered for 15 mins. I also substituted the water for clam juice, added fresh mushrooms and used green onions. My friend and I could not stop eating it. This recipe is definitely a keeper. Five stars! Thanks Debbie!!

If you want a "watery" New England Clam Chowder, this is the recipe for you. It is not creamy at all. It is a watery soup....

I took the advice of other posters and boiled the potatoes seperatley I also used clam juice instead of water it turned out wonderful and the whole family enjoyed it. Thanks for sharing.

I'm From New England so I'll just say instead of water add clam juice or homemade clam stock . Also u should use pork fat instead of bacon for a real authentic taste. theres a couple other stuff but that will really set this off real good

Excellent chowder! I took the suggestions and included the clam juice. Diced the potatoes small and cooked covered, they were fine. I did add a can of oysters. I like this better then the recipie for Ivars clam chowder

Followed this recipe to the "T". Lots of comments about the potatoes not being done, but I found they were done perfectly (chopped to 1cm cubes). I did boil the potatoes in fish stock instead of just plain water. The potatoes absorbed much of the water and so constant stirring was required for the last few minutes. Everything else was exactly as the recipe indicated. I'll definitely be making this one again very soon.

I was very disappointed with this recipe, considering all the rave reviews. I made the soup as-is and it was bland. I modified the recipe per other reviewers (replacing water with clam juice, using double the amount of clams, using 1 cup heavy cream and 2 cups half-and-half, cooking the potatoes in the clam juice first), and the soup still tasted like it was missing "something." (and I used the best clams I could get from Whole Foods). To make the recipe even resemble clam chowder, I had to add even more clam juice, salt, cream, etc. and eventually resorted to adding MSG since nothing else worked.

My family loves this. I added 3 cans of clams, increase the bacon, and cooked potatoes in clam juice instead of water. I put all items in crockpot, except milk/half and half. Cook for 4-6 hours on low, then add half and half and cook 1 more hr. When finish, I add 1 mashed potatoe to the pot and we are done.

Very Good! Used 4 cans of minced clams and reserved 2 cups of juice from them. Used all the clam juice instead of water. Added 2 tbs of flour to the clam juice to thicken the soup up. Topped with scallions and oyster crackers.

This recipe is fantastic!! I had never made clam chowder but this made it easy and a family hit. 2nd time I made it I did add about 2 tablespoons of flour to slightly thicken it and the rest of the clam juice. It was a great addition. Make sure you cook the bacon very crips otherwise it will get chewy.

I'm glad I read all of the reviews before I made this, and made some changes, because the result was truly a 5 star chowder! I added celery with the onion, used almost no water and all of the clam juice from the canned clams, and thicked just a tiny bit with some instant potato flakes. I was VERY impressed with the results. Give this one a try - it's one of the best soups I've ever HAD, much less made!

Excellent! I used to not be a fan of clam chowder, until I tried the real deal in Boston last month! In Boston, the clam chowder is smooth and creamy.. not thick, goopy, and flour-y. Ew.. that's what we get out here in California! :) I was also amazed at how simple it is to make this at home, from scratch. I admit I left out the bacon to make it "healthier", but it really did not sacrifice flavor (so you *know* that this recipe is good and didn't need bacon to make it good)! I took the suggestion of a few other reviewers to boil the potatoes in the clam juice from the cans (I decreased amount of potato, because I like the ratio to include more clams over potato), and also to mash up some of the cooked potatoes to use as a "thickener", if necessary.. and I can not believe how quick and simple it was to whip up. I added a *lot* of black pepper, and just a tiny bit of sea salt, since I used cans and those already have enough sodium. If you're looking for a thinner, creamy, true NE clam chowder, this is it. If you like the thicker, chunkier, flour-y type of soups, then you may not enjoy this recipe. I bet using cream instead of half and half for special occasions would be out of this world yummy! :)

This is my first time making clam chowder, and I must say, with the suggestions for replacement ingredients (clam juice for water, extra minced clams, half-and-half and cream combination), this was THE best clam chowder I have ever tasted in my life! My husband absolutely enjoyed it so much that we'll have it as a treat weekly!!! If your spouse is a carnivore, I'd recommend doubling the amount of clams. It may seem like a lot, but it goes so very well with the recipe. I'll use this recipe for life!!!

This is a GREAT chowder recipe. I used two cups of fat-free half-and-half and 2 tablespoons of butter. It is rich and creamy, with a great clam flavor and wonderful texture. Excellent!!

Awesome recipe! I tweeked it a bit 6 slices of bacon, some white wine (Sutter Home Chardonnay) and thickened with corn starch mixed up in the clam juice. Major kudo from all who tried it!

Great recipe...although, like many others I made some adjustments. First, after crisping the bacon I set it aside (added it just before serving) and drained about half of the oil and melted a generous tablespoon of butter and then fried the onions (added a clove of garlic too!). I boiled the potatoes in 1 cup of chicken broth and all of the clam juice (I also used 3 cans instead of two) and added a bay leaf and some thyme as the potatoes cooked. Like others, I used a thickener and added it to the soup as well (cream and cornstarch for me instead of flour). This is definitely a keeper! :)

I used all of the clam juice and did not add water. Good flavor. I had to cook the potatoes for 20 mins with the lid on to get them done. It is very soupy and not thick, so you might want to make a roux if thickness is an issue for your personal taste. Will make this again in a heartbeat! I will probably use 2% milk or whole milk next time and make a roux for thickness - cuts down on the calories!

Made this for my husband, the clam chowder expert, he loved it. He is a picky eater as are all men from what I read. I added (2 ea) shredded carrots and celery as well used 2 cups chicken stock in place of water and clam liquid. Prior to adding liquid I did make a roux with the onion and bacon mixture + 1 tablespoon butter, it really help to thicken it up. I will definately make this again.

This is a great recipe and I would give it five stars. I did modify it just a little by adding a cup of chicken broth to the potatoes while they were cooking and added a full quart of half and half along with two tablespoons of corn starch to thicken it just a little. My husband and five of my grand children gave their approval. Thanks for the recipe.

This is a wonderful recipe. Took the advice of others and substituted clam juice for the water and also added in an extra can of clams. We doubled the recipe and used 4 cups of half and half and 2 cups of milk. We also substituted tasso for the bacon which gave the soup more of a smoky flavor. Served this at a family meal and everyone agreed that this recipe deserved five stars.

Followed recipe exactly except before adding the half-and-half, I "slightly" mashed potatoes with a masher to thicken the broth. Worked great. Thanks Debbie

I made it just like the recipe said, except I used clam juice instead of water. It was amazing!

I changed it a little but none the less it came out awesome!!! I cooked the potatoes and onion in butter instead of bacon fat and added celery as well. And I threw in the whole thing of half and half which was four cups. My family of picky eaters LOVED it!! Definately will make this again!

WOW! This is fabulous! I have tried many chowder recipies and this is the one i will use from now on. It is lighter than most, but extremely flavorful. I doubled the recipe and it made the perfect amount for lunch or leftovers. To thicken it, i used a little bit of cornstarch and let it warm all afternoon. This is a keeper!

I made this on Sunday for my Super Bowl party and I followed the advice of some other reviewers and cooked the potatoes in clam juice instead of water and used 1 1/4 cup of whipping cream instead of all half and half. Everyone who had some at my party loved it!! I'm so excited; the recipe is so easy to make, I'm sure I'll do it again!

This was so good! I did make a couple of changes as other reviewers suggested. I added the butter while cooking the bacon and onions. I used clam juice instead of the water. I also used about 2 tbsp of potato starch (potato flour) to thicken the soup. I used 1 cup of heavy cream and 3 cups of half and half. I also used 3 cans of chopped clams and 1 can of whole baby clams, because we like to really taste the clams in our chowder. After cooking the bacon, onions, and potatoes on the stove I transferred everything to my crockpot and let it cook all afternoon on low. I served the chowder in toasted sourdough bread bowls. My family was so impressed and absolutley loved this! Yummy!

This recipe is delicious. My husband commented last night that it was restaurant quality. I sent some home with my neighbor, and he told me today that it was the best Clam Chowder he'd ever had. I only had chopped clams on hand, so I used those. I added all of the liqid from both cans, added about 3 stalks sliced celery, one diced carrot, and chopped, fresh flat leaf parsley. I only had a pint of half and half, so I added 1 cup of milk to make the difference. Also, I added more chopped bacon and parsley when serving. I will definately keep this recipe in my recipe box and make again and again. Thanks so much for sharing your wonderful recipe!

This is the best clam chowder recipe I have made. I did follow some of the suggestions and used the clam juice instead of water. I also added a little flour (mixed with the broth) at the end of the recipe to thicken it up just a little. The flavor was amazing and the consistency was perfect!

I have never made clam chowder before. My husband is the one who makes the chowder in our family. He said this one blows his out of the water! I was concerned about my 3 and 5 year old eating it, they've never had it before. To my surprise, my 3 year old cleaned his bowl and asked for more. I did take some suggestions from other reviews. I replaced 1/2 the water with clam juice, used another can of clams. The kids say this is definitally a keeper. Thanks so much!!

Personally I thought adding more clam juice was the key.

Really yummy! This was my first time making it! Used all the clam juice, mixed in some flour to thicken, and ate with some saltines-great combo!

Delicious, this was the first time I ever made a clam chowder. I used all clam juice instead of water. I also added extra potatos and made alittle roux to thicken up in the end.

Excellent. Could have used more clams but the flavor was perfect. I used both cans of clam juice plus an extra splash from a bottle. Of course, I added more flour so the consistency remained the same. Will definitely keep this recipe in my collection!

My friends love this Chowder. Everyone raved about it. I was very impressed myself.

This was delicious - also followed suggestions to use clam juice instead of water, and add additional can of clams (I used chopped instead of minced). My son liked it so much, he said he doesn't want canned chowder again!

I made the recipe to the T, but used fresh clams I steamed and 1 cup of clam juice from a jar with 1/2 cup water. When I put in the half and half I noticed it wasn't thickening so I added a can of white potatoes and smooshed them against the side of the pot, the result was delicious! I am keeping this recipe, thanks Debbie!

Awesome recipe, I use the juice from both cans of clams and only half of the cream called for in the recipe and substitute the other half with 2% milk...just to cut calories and fat a bit. A big hit in our house!!

My family loved this it was easy and great

Use clam juice instead of water and cream inplace of half % haf. Then this recipe will be worthy of five stars.

I also used clam juice rather than water to boil the potatoes. I added 2 tbls. of flour and 2 tbls. butter to the bacon and onions after they were cooked to make a roux. I didn't add any more butter at the end. I added 1/4 teas. nutmeg when everything was combined. Was a hit!

This is a terrific recipe. As others suggested, I substituted 8 oz clam juice (plus the liquid from one can of clams) for the water, used 2 cups of potatoes, and 3 cans of clams. I also used (2) 12-oz cans of evaporated skim milk in place of the half-and-half. My VERY picky husband and 5 year-old son raved about this chowder. Thanks so much!

We all loved this. I used turkey bacon, used only about 1/2 cp of onion, 2 cups of water, 2 cloves of garlic, 3 cans of clams, and I forgot to add the butter. I used all the liquid from the clams and added about a tablespoon of flour to the clam juice to help it thicken up. The kids ate two bowls and made me promise to make it again! Delicious!

This was a perfect chowder recipe and it was oh so easy! As I usually do, I substitued some things to make the dish a bit healthier...used fat free half and half and got rid of the bacon. I also used a slurry of water and flour to thicken up to my liking. Even with these changes, it was still delicious!