Creamy Vidalia Onion Chowder

4 slices crisp bacon
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 pounds (about 4 medium) Vidalia or other sweet onions
1 (20 ounce) package refrigerated mashed potatoes or
    2 1/2 to 3 1/2 cups leftover mashed potatoes
1 tablespoon bottled minced garlic
2 (14 1/2 ounce) cans chicken broth
2 cups frozen yellow corn kernels
2 bay leaves
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper, or more, to taste
1/2 cup sour cream

Cook bacon until crisp. Blot with a paper towel to remove any excess grease. Set aside.

Heat the oil on medium in a large Dutch oven or soup pot.

Meanwhile, peel the onions and coarsely chop, adding the onions to the pot as you chop. When all of the onions have been added, raise the heat to medium-high. Cook, stirring frequently, until the onions are tender, about 6 minutes.

Add the garlic to the soup pot, and stir and cook 1 minute. Add the chicken broth and stir well, scraping the pot bottom to remove any brown bits. Add the mashed potatoes, corn, bay leaf, thyme and black pepper.

Cover the pot, raise the heat to high, and bring the soup back to a boil.

Meanwhile, coarsely chop the bacon and set aside. When the soup boils, remove the pot from the heat and turn off the stove. Remove the bay leaves, and stir in the sour cream until it is well-combined.

Serve at once in soup bowls, sprinkling the bacon on top at the table.

Serves 5.