Stefani's Clam Chowder

My stepmom made this for me as a birthday dinner when I was 12 or 13. I forget. Anyhow, it stuck with me. Gluten free changes are in purple.

Ingredients:
4 slices bacon, crisp & diced   
3 (6 ½ oz.) chopped clams (do not discard juice)
5 tablespoons butter, divided   
½ cup chopped onion
¼ cup chopped celery   
2 green onions, diced
2 cup diced potatoes   
3 tablespoon flour or cornstarch
2 cup milk   
2 cup half & half
½ teaspoon salt   
1/4 teaspoon pepper
¼ teaspoon paprika   

Sauté bacon, clam ‘juice’, 3 tablespoons of butter, celery, potatoes and onions. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat.  Simmer for 15 minutes.

Melt 2 tablespoons of butter and combine with flour over medium heat in a saucepan until lightly browned (for cornstarch add to a little bit of water until it forms a slurry and then add) and milk and mix until smooth. Combine with remaining ingredients and stir into the vegetable mix. Stir constantly until thickened over medium heat.