Despite the fact that it is spring we had snow here for Easter so the first thing that I did with my leftover ham was to make a comforting and creamy ham and potato corn chowder! I wanted this chowder to be full of vegetables so I started out with onions, carrots and celery before adding some garlic, thyme and flour as a thickener. For the liquids I used a tasty ham broth and milk rather than cream to keep things a little lighter. The ham, potatoes and corn filled the soup out and as I often do, I added some white miso paste for even more flavour and a touch of umami. Not only is this ham and potato chowder really easy to make but it takes less than 30 minutes so it’s perfect for any night of the week and if you make a large batch then the leftovers are even better for lunch the next day! Here’s to hoping that it starts warming up soon but until then I have some ham and potato corn chowder to get me through these chilly early spring days!
So nice and warm and comforting!
Add bacon and cheddar if you wish! (The bacon is not really optional in my opinion!)
Fry the ham first for some extra flavour and crispiness!
Ham and Potato Corn Chowder
A lighter, creamy and tasty ham and potato corn chowder that is pure comfort in a bowl!
ingredients
- 3 tablespoons oil or butter
- 1 onion, diced
- 2 carrots, diced
- 2 stalks celery, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 teaspoon thyme, chopped
- 1/4 cup flour (or rice flour for gluten free)
- 2 cups ham broth or chicken broth
- 2 cups milk (or heavy cream)
- 1 1/2 pounds potatoes, diced small and optionally peeled
- 8 ounces ham, diced
- 1 cup corn
- salt and pepper to taste
directions
- Heat the oil in a large sauce pan over medium-high heat, add the onions, carrots and celery and cook until tender, about 8-10 minutes.
- Mix in the garlic, thyme and flour and cook until the flour is lightly browned, about 2-3 minutes.
- Slowly stir in the broth, deglazing the pan as you go, add the milk and potatoes, bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 10-12 minutes.
- Add the ham and corn, cook until heated and season with salt and pepper.
Option: Omit the carrots and celery.
Option: Replace the potato with cauliflower.
Option: Fry the ham until slightly crispy on the outside before adding it to the soup.
Option: Add 1-2 tablespoons white miso paste by taking some of the hot broth and mixing it into the miso in a bowl and then mixing it back into the chowder as you remove it from the heat. (The miso adds a nice umami flavour!) Note: miso is salty so you will not need to season with as much salt.
Ham and Bean Soup
Split Pea Soup with Ham
Maple and Bourbon Ham and Baked Bean Soup
Cauliflower Chowder
Buffalo Chicken Chowder
Shrimp and Roasted Corn Chowder
Chipotle Chicken and Corn Bacon Chowder
Cajun Sweet Potato Seafood Chowder
Asiago Cauliflower and Quinoa Chowder
Zuppa Toscana
Chicken Cordon Bleu Soup
Corn and Zucchini Chowder
Dill Pickle Soup
Corn and Jalapeno Chowder
This hearty soup looks wonderful!!!
This is an awesome corn chowder recipe I used half and half for the milk did not fry the ham just cubed and put in. Did not use miso. We loved!! This is a keeper!
How much half and half did you use
Saw this recipe & had to make it!! It was a hit!! We’re going RV camping to Moab, I’m going to make ahead and freeze this awesome chowder!! Can’t wait to share!
Hey do I buy the can of Ham, I haven’t purchased it in a while….Thanks I can’t wait to make it Yummmmm!!!!!!!!!!.
Thank you so much.’
I have not tried using canned ham with this (it should work). I either use leftovers from a large ham or I just pick up a small ham from the meat/refrigerated section of the grocery store. Enjoy!
Any chance you have this in InstantPot recipe form?
Hi! I’ve done this in an instant pot several times. Generally follow the recipe then add everything except milk to the instant pot. I do it on high pressure for 12 min. Then slow pressure release and stir in milk after. I also add green chili for a little spice!
You can always buy ham from the deli. just tell them which ham you want and how thick you want the slice.
This chowder is delicious. I have also used canned evaporated milk with great results.
Buy ham slices and cut it up. That should work.
Yum!! Love everything in this soup. Pure comfort!
Lovely chowder Kevin! One of my favorites!!!
Awesome flavors in this chowder – it looks tasty Kevin!
I'll be pinning this recipe. Feeding two adult sized boys I cook hams whenever they are on sale, but if I don't actually "serve" the leftovers nothing happens to them. It's nice to see another option besides bean or split pea soup for leftover ham.
Great recipe for using up the Easter ham!
This seriously looks just delicious Kevin!
Kevin, love this! what a delicious and beautiful way to use up that leftover ham!!! and we have lots!! love this!
Kevin, what kind of milk dud you use?
Sorry, meant what kind of milk did you use? Whole, 1%?
This looks like a yummy chowder, definitely my idea of comfort food!!!
Anonymous: I used 2% milk.
Why not Heavy Cream?
Heavy cream is even better, but the milk is lighter.
I used both milk and heavy cream.
I still have just a littttttle bit of ham left in my freezer from Thanksgiving. Looks like it might need to go into this soup…
You did it again Kevin! Used up some of the leftover Easter Ham. I used Sweet Potatoes instead of regular since that is what I had and I sautéed some bacon instead of the oil at first. Added in cauliflower too as you mentioned as an Add in. Put dried thyme in as I didn't have much fresh in the yard yet. Absolutely YUMMY!
Christi Gillette: I'm glad you enjoyed it!
Kevin, I made this chowder last night and it was delicious. I made it as listed except I used 2% milk, left out the cream but added the bacon garnish as I am also a bacon lover. Thank you again for a wonderful recipe!
Cary Hill: I'm glad you enjoyed it! The bacon is a must for me as well! 🙂
Hi Kevin, I saw the recipe yesterday morning and had everything on hand. So I made the soup for lunch and we loved it. I'll for sure cook it again. Thank you for the great recipe!
Julia
Julia – Vintage with Laces: I'm glad you liked it!
I want to run out and do this recipe right now. This look so delicious.
Lovely chowder. This is absolutely comforting! I might add some bacon to pair with the ham when I try this.
just made this soup.this is my first chowder. hesitant to use ham in anything other bean soup.i am now a convert!! followed directions except I used 1T butter and 2T oil. I thought the amount of thyme was initially too strong. but at the end of cooking it had really mellowed. this soup did warrant a lot of stirring!! perhaps my pot or stove..don't know. but you don't want it to stick.
this is very yummy!! probably my last batch of soup as it starting to warm up.
thank you!!
Mary Akkeron: I'm glad you liked it!
I found your recipe while searching for something to use up some carrots, potatoes and celery I had that was about to turn. Found this and thought yummmmm! But The 1 ingredient I was missing was ham 🙁 I decided to give it a try anyway and used some white kidney beans in place of the ham. And it came out delicious!! I can't wait to make again with ham next time, thank you 🙂
Can you crock this soup?
Absolutely wonderful! My husband even commented on how savory it was; that is not a common thing for him. Seconds and thirds all around our table for this family of six. Thank you for sharing your fabulous recipe! Going to print this out, it's a keeper!
Oh my goodness! This chowder is incredible!!! I make a lot of soups and this will become a family favorite. Thank you!
Kathy: I'm glad you like it!
I have everything handy in the cupboard for this making it tonight. Thanks.
Fantastic! Very tasty.
fuckin' awesome recipe!!! this shit fuckin rocks! i'm trying your ham/potato chowder next!!
It tasted really good but took a bit longer than 30 minutes…. I'd give it 45-1 hour. Other than that it was awesome!!
Did you use fresh or dried thyme?
Kelly Knautz: You can use fresh or dried. I use fresh when possible.
Tried your recipe…my family loved it!
what is the serving size
Unknown: 2 cups per serving
I jusr made this tonight, added a chopped up apple to make up the loss of a potato, and used the blue potatoes, leeks, along with the celery, carrots, etc…used all fresh herbs, i have an awesome recipe for chowder, but… Kevin, i really, along with husband and grandson, really enjoyed this chowder, very different flavors from my own recipe. Thank you for an outstanding dish.
Just made this with Thankgiving ham and mashed potato leftovers! Used mashed potatoes to thicken it in place of the flour and potatoes. Then added some Old Bay seasoning and cayenne, and a touch of cheese for a flavor boost. My picky 13 year old is eating it, veggies and all! I'm guessing it'lol taste even better next day.
Just made this for my family with left over Christmas ham. SO good!! Added some 'slap ya mama' seasoning. It's going to be a fight for seconds and thirds here before we run out of soup. Great recipe!! Thanks.
Angie: I'm glad you liked it!
Can you make this in a crock pot?
Made a big pot of this chowder today. It was so delicious!!! Thanks for the recipe Kevin!!! Can't wait to have the leftovers tomorrow!! This is a keeper! Kate
Made a big pot of this chowder today. It was so delicious!!! Thanks for the recipe Kevin!!! Can't wait to have the leftovers tomorrow!! This is a keeper! Kate
Unknown: I'm glad you like it! I need to bake a ham again soon to make this again!
I could this all be precooked and put in a crockpot?
Brea' says>>>I made this chowder along with another rich and meaty soup tonight in preparation of a Bay Area mega storm. While this was a lighter version of the chowder, I had to fully load it by subbing 1c heavy cream along with 1c whole milk because from what I hear, it's going to be a really, really bad storm. I also made it in a crock pot, after making the veggie roux. It's been on low for about 3 hours and the potatoes are just perfect. Thank you for the recipe Kevin. This chowder allowed me to completely use holiday foods that I had to freeze. Actually this is really why I used the heavy cream – it was left over from my holiday baking, as well as the holiday ham and roasted corn. 🙂
Was looking for a new soup recipe to try for dîner tonight. This one looks so good!!! Very warm and comforting, perfect as it is very very cold today in Québec City! Thanks for sharing!
Valérie
Thank you. I made this tonight….It was easy, quick, and delicious.
I made this tonight. It was very tasy and easy to make.
Can this soup be frozen and reheated successfully?
I made this today just because I was craving something like this and I was looking for a non-crockpot recipe. My husband is a not a soup lover, but he had seconds of this soup. I was totally shocked.
In fact, every time I make one of your recipes, he just LOVES it. He never knows when I'll make one of your recipes.
Thank you so much for so many delicious recipes that I sometimes make for my family who really enjoy them. Another great recipe!!! God bless you!
Unknown: Yes, you can freeze this chowder and it reheats well!
xtraordinarymommy: I'm glad you enjoyed it!
Making this as I write this. Smells delicious.
Made this for dinner tonight with some leftover ham I had and omg it is soooooo delicious!!! Added some garlic powder, onion powder, and some cheddar cheese (to my dish not the whole thing) and omfg I'm in heaven definitely a keeper for us!!! Great recipe thanks for it!!!
Any tips for converting to crock pot recipe?
Myranda: I'm glad you enjoyed it! Cheese is an amazing topping for this! 🙂
This is a easy delicious meal. Servings are generous and with some crusty bread its perfect. The thyme is such a nice touch.
Do you pre cook yhe potatoes?
Has anyone made this with either almond or coconut milk?
Perfect for a cold winter's meal. I am going to make this soup again. My family loved it!
I've made this several times. It never disappoints! I use a lactaid 2% milk….we love it!
I made this yesterday and LOVED it! Added bacon of course 😉 And I also had some leftover mushrooms and tomatoes which added really nicely to the finished soup. But otherwise I made it exactly as stated. Yum! Will definitely add this to my regular rotation.
Maria: I'm glad you like it! Those additions sound nice!
Hi, can you use frozen potatoes O’Brien. I have a broken arm and can’t cut potatoes
That will work!
Hi Kevin i made this chowder last night and it was delish. I lightly browned the ham and use a cup and half of water to deglaze the pan. Added that ANd the Chicken broth to the chowder. Just Awesome. Thanks.
Can you make this in the crockpot?
I just finished eating this soup that I made, and it is amazing!! I barely had to add pepper, the flavours were so great 🙂
Oddly enough, I didn't have any corn on hand, but I didn't even notice it was missing….
It was awesome! Didn't have celery didn't miss it. Very easy, very filling.
Has anyone made this in a Crock-Pot? When I pinned this I assumed that how it was cooked. I planned on making it today but don’t really have the time to do it on the stove
Yes, this works in the slow cooker! Optionally do steps 1&2 in the pan or just throw everything into the slow cooker. Enjoy!
How would this taste with almond milk would evaporated milk milk work
Either should work with slight changes to flavour. Enjoy!
I made this last night, following the recipe exactly except for using carrots which I didn’t have. I used skim milk and still had a creamy, thick chowder. My husband stepped in to help me while I was still cutting up the potatoes and perhaps should have let the flour cook just a little bit longer (next time I would only use a tablespoon or 2 because I ended up adding more broth to thin it a bit). I did use my immersion blender to mash some of the potatoes before adding the ham. The next time I have leftover ham, I will make this again.
I made this tonight-turned out soooo good! My hubby loved it! I pretty much followed the recipe but I found it needed a lot more salt and pepper to taste; I also added 1tsp vegeta(no msg) and fresh thyme-this made all the difference…so tasty!
I made this recipe tonight. I’m giving it 3 stars. The recipe wasn’t very clear in my opinion. The prep and cooking times were way off, taking over an hour longer than I had originally planned on finishing. For all the hard work to cut veggies and to prepare the soup it didn’t quite taste how I’d hoped. It didn’t taste bad, it just wasn’t worth all the time spent cooking the soup. I won’t be making this again.
Burns too easy if you cook the potatoes with milk. Next time I will cook potatoes some before adding. Otherwise it is a great soup.
It sounds like the temperature was to high, it should be around medium-low for the simmering. I’m glad you enjoyed it!
I found this recipe this morning, as I was thinking of what I would make using my leftover Christmas ham. This is a hearty soup! I used Lactose free milk and it was delicious. Thanks for posting it!
Got this simmering on stove now and smells so wonderful. I used fresh thyme and followed recipe. Can’t wait to eat it. Thanks for sharing.
This was wonderful! My picky husband loved it!
For an even healthier version, I used gluten free flour blend and coconut milk. Increase flour to 1/2 cup and substitute milk for 1 can of coconut milk and 1 cup lactose free milk (or 2 cans coconut milk for 100% dairy free).
It’s a comforting soup on a cold day. Thanks for sharing!
I really really liked this soup. I did not have any chicken broth on hand so I substituted vegetable broth. I was (surprisingly) out of thyme so I substituted it with Za’atar which I think just bumped it up a notch. I did 1 cup whole milk and 1 cup regular cream. Other than that I followed the recipe. I’ve made potato ham soup in the past but this came out fantastic. Thanks so much for sharing.
Great soup! Bacon was a nice add on. Easy to make! Great rainy day soup.
This looks delicious! I have never seen this before, thank you for sharing!
Came across this recipe when looking for different ideas of what to do with some leftover pork tenderloin. Substituted the pork for the ham and it was delicious. My husband raves about this and we have been eating the leftovers. Definitely a keeper and very adaptable for various leftover proteins. Thank you!
Just made this thank you for such a wonderful dish. Made per recipe instructions, no changes.
Outstanding! Only change was I used leeks instead of onions because you know, leeks!
Next time around I’m going to use the base for clam chowder, with clams we pick ourselves, and clam juice! So many great ideas with this. Highly recommend!
Finally made this. Regretting that we waited so long. This is really good; comfort food at its finest.
Thank you for the recipe!
This chowder was super simple to make, especially if you prep all of your ingredients earlier in the day. Then when it comes time to cook dinner, it’s a quick fix. We love corn chowder, and this one has been added to my favorites list! It’s absolutely delicious and the leftovers are even better! There was just enough left over for each kid (2) to take some to school for lunch in their thermos, and one serving for me to enjoy for lunch too. I made this using 1% milk and it turned out wonderful and also made this hearty 2 cup serving only 7 (blue plan) WW points!
So delicious and easy! thanks for sharing.
Made this today and it was absolutely perfect. Made a couple additions. Added 2 cups of chopped fresh spinach to wilt, garnish with bacon and a pinch of cheddar cheese for presentation. Used fresh thyme and 2 cups of half and half. This is a go to comfort soup on chilly nights.
This chowder is so easy and delicious! It is definately a keeper in this household. I didn’t change a thing from the recipe and it was amazing! Thank you for this delicious recipe!
So easy and so delicious. I am generally not a fan of soups. This recipe, however, is a keeper.
I made this soup for the first time tonight and didn’t like the flavor at all. I was very disappointed since the picture looked so good. The taste was really off even though I followed the directions exactly. I substituted cauliflower for the potatoes, which was mentioned in the options. I tried adding cheese at the very end hoping that would help the flavor taste better which it probably did but it was still off. I’m wondering if I should have just omitted the thyme completely. As it was I only did half the amount but it still was too strong for my taste. I won’t be making this recipe again. 🙁
Thanks Kevin – I made the chowder tonight – didn’t have all the ingredients but it came out great. Had two bowls for supper tonight.
This recipe is delicious! So simple and so tasty! I have made this twice as per recipe without optional ingredients and it is perfect.
Hi Kevin! Love this recipe! I only made a cpl of changes: added pinto beans, red bell pepper, a small jalapeño, 2sliced Andouille sausages, homemade chick broth & I didn’t have ham so I subbed 2 small smoked ham hocks. I did have to cook longer because of the hocks, but no biggie. The soup was outstanding and thank you so much for sharing all of your recipes with us. You have a special talent for making excellent, great quality food.
Thank you for this delicious recipe.! I had all the ingredients except the chicken broth so I substituted vegetable broth and I did not peel the potatoes I used the 2% milk and 1/4 cup cream at the end. After about four bites my husband looked up and said,”This is definitely one to repeat”. High praise indeed. Thanks again for sharing.
Can this soup be frozen? Making some freezer meals for a new momma.
Yes it can! Enjoy!
Such a delicious dish. Thanks for sharing such a great recipe. I will definitely share it with my friends.
I made this. No leftovers. I used half and half because I did not have milk. Turned out a little thick so I added some more chicken stock. My husband loved it.
I starting to understand to use potato starch instead of flour or cornstarch for thickening. Since this recipe has potato, think would be good place for it. Do u ever use it for thickening sauce? soup.
Potato starch works well as a thickener in this chowder!
I wonder if you could use smoked sausage, in a pinch?
Smoked sausage is amazing in this!
Just made this tonight, used bacon grease too cook up the veggies and heavy cream because I had some that needed using. Perfect way to use up some veggies that were on their way out and the ham steaks I cooked too many of! It was delicious! Definitely will be on my menu anytime we have ham as well! Thanks for the recipe!
Hi Kevin,
This is a delicious chowder with many possibilities. It lends well to the use of seafood, chicken, or spicy sausage as the protein in the rich, creamy, and tasty broth. I did add some additional spices such as: Herbs d’Provence, white pepper and Bay seasoning (when I use shrimp as the protein)–plus a few dashes of Tabasco just for slight warmth. I, also, used a combination of heavy cream, half and half, and milk to achieve the desired texture for the broth.
Thank you for this delightful chowder–it’s become a family favorite and we will enjoy it frequently.
Can I make this and then freeze it?
Yes you can! This freezes well! Enjoy!
Hey Kevin, can I use some unflavoured heavier cream in the end to thicken it, as opposed to a roux? We don’t like roux in this household. Also, I used to make your honey dijon pretzel chicken a lot before, but my mother is not allowed to eat mustard anymore. Is there a way to make a similar sauce with something gallbladder-friendly? We were not using miso in it either, as it comes only in huge, huge batches here. Thank you so much.
I made this for dinner tonight. OMG! How delicious 😋
This soup is perfection Kevin!! I used 1/2 & 1/2 instead of milk, and sauteed bacon and used the fat to cook the veggies in. This is the only chowder recipe I’m ever going to need; infact I think if you wanted a great clam chowder all you’d need to do is throw some clams in and don’t change anything else!
I’ve this was asked before, I must have missed the question & reply. Can this be frozen it looks so good and I prefer not to make a half a batch. I generally batch cook meals one day a week to last through the busy work week.
I just saw the answer to my question about freezing the batch. Thanks. No need to post
Do you use canned or frozen corn in this?
You can use fresh, frozen or canned corn!
This was FABULOUS!
Can you freeze this too?
This freezes well!
This is awesome. So creamy. I used canned milk. It was so good.