Brown the bacon in a large stock pot over medium high heat until cooked through.
Remove the bacon from the pot but leave the bacon grease in the pot. Chop of the cooked bacon.
Add in the onions, celery and diced carrots. Sauté the vegetables until they are soft (5-7 minutes). Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute until the garlic is aromatic.
Add the chicken broth to the pot and scrape the bottom of the pot to remove any brown bits.
Stir in the chopped bacon, potatoes, corn, salt, pepper, paprika, and thyme leaves.
Bring the mixture to a boil and then reduce the heat to medium low.
Cover and cook for 15-20 minutes until the potatoes are tender and cooked through.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the cream and cornstarch. Stir this mixture into the pot and cook on low heat until the soup thickens.
Remove from heat, serve warm topped with the cheese and green onions. Enjoy!
Notes
Refrigerate the leftovers in an airtight container for up to 5 days.