slow cooker chicken-corn chowder

Ingredients For slow cooker chicken-corn chowder

• 6

  boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs, cut into 1 inch cubes
• 3 lg

  new potatoes,peeled,cut into 1-inch cubes
• 3 md

  carrots, chopped
• 3

  celery stalks, chopped
• 1 md

  red bell pepper, seeded, chopped
• 1 bunch

  green onion,cleaned, and chopped green part too
• 2 pkg

  12 oz. each fresh steamer niblets frozen corn
• 4 1/2 oz

  can chopped green chiles, optional
• 3 oz

  pkg. cream cheese, cut up
• 2 c

  low sodium chicken broth
• 2 1/2 c

  milk or cream
• 1 c

  sherry wine
• 3 Tbsp

  butter or margarine
• 1 Tbsp

  granulated sugar
• 1/2 c

  cream or milk
• 2 Tbsp

  cornstarch or 1/4 c. instant potatoes
• pepper to taste
• 1/2 c

  crispy fried and crumbled bacon or real bacon bits