Heat a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add the bacon and cook, stirring occasionally, until well cooked on all sides. (Reduce the heat if yours starts to blacken.) Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and set aside on a paper towel.

Add the chopped onion to the bacon grease and sauté over medium heat until tender, about 5 minutes.

And the diced potatoes and water. Cover the pot and cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are fork tender.

Add 1 ½ cups of the milk then carefully use an immersion blender to lightly blend the soup and break down the potatoes. They don’t need to be pureed and it’s OK to have some chunks, but you want them broken down a bit to help with the texture of the chowder. (Alternatively, you could transfer the mixture to a regular blender and pulse to break them down. Or use a potato masher and roughly mash the potatoes to break them down.)

Add the remaining 1 ½ cups of milk, the corn, sugar, butter, salt and pepper. Bring the chowder to a low simmer then reduce the heat and cook over low heat for 5-10 minutes, until warmed through.

Serve the chowder topped with the reserved bacon and any desired toppings. Enjoy!