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Clam Chowder with Bacon

2 reviews
5.0 2
Clam Chowder with Bacon made and served in the glass Anyday dish, featuring a creamy soup with clams, crispy bacon, and potatoes.
Clam Chowder with Bacon
PT10M PT15M

Prep Time

10 mins

Cook Time

15-16 mins
2 reviews

Free Time

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With whole clams, chunky potatoes, and thick-cut bacon, this classic New England-style chowder is comfort in a bowl. We use whole fresh clams for best results, but packaged works if you're short on time. Finish with Worcestershire sauce for tang and depth of flavor. 

All of Anyday’s recipes are tested (and retested!) in many different microwave and home kitchens to make sure they work— and work well. Unless specified otherwise, all recipes should be cooked at full power.

American, Bacon, Fish & Seafood, Soups, Clams, Gluten-free, Deep Dish, Extra Large Dish, Seafood Fish & Seafood, Soups

What You’ll Need

What You’ll Need

The Medium Deep Dish

The best dish for 1-2 portions of grains, veggies, mac and cheese, ramen, and more.

The Anyhand Mitts

Handle hot Anyday dishes with care with these microwave mitts that double as trivets!
Try Anyday

Select your serving size and microwave wattage in the dropdown. The recipe will change accordingly.

1-2
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Select your microwave wattage in the dropdown. The cook times in this recipe will automatically change accordingly.

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To find your microwave’s wattage, look at the front panel, the side of the door, in the back, in the user manual, or Google the model number. If both an input and output wattage are listed, use the output.

Wattage translates to how powerful the microwave is. The higher the wattage, the faster your food will cook. The lower the wattage, the longer the cook time.

When in doubt, start with less time — you can always add more.

700w

Recommended 

Dish

The Medium Deep Dish

Ingredients

  • 12 shell-on Manila or littleneck clams, washed and soaked in cold water for 30 mins to get rid of sand
  • 2 slices thick-cut bacon, diced
  • ¼ cup (20g) thinly sliced leeks
  • ½ cup (80g) Yukon gold potatoes, cubed
  • 1 sprig thyme
  • ¾ cup (170ml) clam cooking liquid or chicken stock
  • 1 cup (225ml) heavy cream
  • 1½ tablespoons cornstarch
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  • Chopped parsley and fresh lemon juice for garnish

Preparation

  1. Place the clean clams in the Anyday dish. Cover with the lid (knob lifted).
  1. Steam the clams in the microwave for 9-10 minutes, or until the clams open. If needed, stir and then cook for a bit longer. Allow the clams to rest for 1 minute before opening the dish.
  2. Transfer the clams to a separate bowl, reserving the clam liquid in another bowl. If there’s not enough liquid to fill the indicated amount, add some chicken stock to make up the difference. Set aside.
  3. Add the bacon, leeks, and potatoes to the Anyday dish. Cover and cook for 2-3 minutes, or until the potatoes are almost tender when pierced with a fork and the bacon has partially rendered.
  4. Add the thyme, clam cooking liquid, heavy cream, cornstarch, salt, and pepper. Stir well to combine. When adding the clam liquid, make sure no sand makes it into the soup.
  5. Cover and cook for 4-5 minutes stirring halfway through the cooking time, or until the soup has thickened and the potatoes are fully cooked.
  6. Toss in the steamed clams and Worcestershire sauce and mix well. Sprinkle lemon juice and parsley over the soup and enjoy.

Serving suggestions & tips

  • Substitute shell-on clams: You can substitute shell-on clams for packaged shell-off clams. Skip the first step since you won’t need to steam the clams, and be sure to purchase clam juice to make up for the lack of cooking liquid.
  • Make it lighter: For a lighter chowder, swap half-and-half for heavy cream to reduce the richness without sacrificing flavor.
  • Add some heat: Stir in a few dashes of hot sauce for a spicy twist that enhances the depth of flavor.
  • Swap leeks for onions: If you prefer, you can substitute leeks with yellow onions for a more classic flavor.

Recipe notes

  • If using shell-off clams, make sure to skip the first step since you will not need to steam the clams. If using shell-off clams, purchase clam juice to make up for the lack of cooking liquid.
  • Make sure to wash the clams well to avoid any sand from going into the soup.
  • Microwave ovens vary, even with the same wattages, so adjust cooking times as needed to ensure your chowder cooks evenly.
  • Microwave ovens vary, even with the same wattages. Adjust cooking times as needed.