Cheddar Corn Chowder

Update at Bottom!!
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Just something that I want to make and don't want to lose the recipe. Sounds yummy, huh? Great for a rainy day.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/cheddar-corn-chowder-recipe/index.html


Ingredients

8 ounces bacon, chopped
1/4 cup good olive oil
6 cups chopped yellow onions (4 large onions)
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1/2 cup flour
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
12 cups chicken stock
6 cups medium-diced white boiling potatoes, unpeeled (2 pounds)
10 cups corn kernels, fresh (10 ears) or frozen (3 pounds)
2 cups half-and-half
8 ounces sharp white cheddar cheese, grated


Directions

In a large stockpot over medium-high heat, cook the bacon and olive oil until the bacon is crisp, about 5 minutes. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and reserve. Reduce the heat to medium, add the onions and butter to the fat, and cook for 10 minutes, until the onions are translucent.

Stir in the flour, salt, pepper, and turmeric and cook for 3 minutes. Add the chicken stock and potatoes, bring to a boil, and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes, until the potatoes are tender. If using fresh corn, cut the kernels off the cob and blanch them for 3 minutes in boiling salted water. Drain. (If using frozen corn you can skip this step.) Add the corn to the soup, then add the half-and-half and cheddar. Cook for 5 more minutes, until the cheese is melted. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper. Serve hot with a garnish of bacon.
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Update!
I made this tonight and it was great!  My mom loved it so much she had seconds. :) I did make some changes though.  I cut the recipe mainly in half (see below).  Changes I would make the next time is to either cut the potatoes up a little smaller or if I had an immersible blender - do a quick blend afer the potates are cooked.  I also didn't like the bacon on top of the soup.  Just made it a little too rich and salty.  I just felt like it didn't really need it.  However, I would omit it due to the flavor the fat gives.  Next time, I'll just cook up the bacon like normal, then put it in the fridge or freezer for breakfast the next day or to use in another dish (mmmm like maybe stuffed potatoes...).

Here's the changes to the ingredients I did:

8 ounces bacon, chopped (kept the same)
1/4 cup good olive oil (???? didn't really measure it out....I think it was about the same)
6 cups 3 cups chopped yellow onions (4 2 large onions)
4  2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup 1/4 cup flour
2 teaspoons kosher salt (eyeball it)
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper (eyeball it)
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric Omitted altogether.  More for color than taste and I wasn't going to buy an entire jar for less than a teaspoon.
12 cups 5 cups chicken stock (could even do 4 cups)
6 cups 2-3 cups medium-diced white boiling potatoes, unpeeled
10 cups corn kernels, fresh (10 ears) or frozen (3 pounds) 1 lb frozen corn
2 cups 1 cup half-and-half
8 ounces sharp white cheddar cheese, grated (kept the same)