Ham and Potato Corn Chowder

When I was growing up, my mom made a variety of homemade soup. Out of all, the chowders were my favorites. Warm, creamy chowders are the perfect meal for cold winter weather! When I found this recipe, I knew I had to make it and I knew it would be good.

Ham and Potato Corn Chowder takes chowder to a higher level and is now my favorite It is also a favorite of my family and when the weather begins to get cold, I begin receiving requests. There is nothing boring about this chowder; it is hearty, flavorful, and satisfying. I like to serve it with a crusty baguette or crunchy rolls to dip in the chowder.

For a work luncheon I made a pot of this chowder, put it in my Crockpot, and when I got to work, I plugged it in to keep it warm until the luncheon began. It worked perfectly!

Enjoy!

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Ingredients

• 2 cups cooked ham – diced into small cubes

• 6 slices bacon – cooked crispy and crumbled

• 1 medium yellow onion – diced

• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour

• 3/4 tsp. dried oregano

• 2 (14.5 oz.) cans low-sodium chicken broth

• 2 carrots – peeled and diced

• 1/2 cup sour cream or heavy cream (I’ve tried and like both versions)

• 2 celery stalks – diced

• 3 cups milk

• Salt and freshly ground black pepper – to taste

• 5 1/2 Tbsp. butter – divided

• 1 bay leaf

• 5 medium red potatoes (1 ¾ lb.) – diced into 3/4-inch cubes

• Chopped green onions or chives, for serving

• 1/2 tsp. dried thyme

• 2 cups fresh corn (or frozen)
  

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Directions

• In a large pot, melt 1 1/2 Tbsp. butter over medium heat.
  
• Add onion, carrot, and celery and sauté until tender, about 4 minutes. Add chicken broth, potatoes, oregano, thyme, and bay leaf and season with salt and pepper to taste.
  
• Bring mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce heat to medium, cover with lid and allow to cook, stirring occasionally until potatoes are nearly tender, about 15 minutes.
  
• Add in ham and corn and cook until potatoes are tender, about 5 minutes longer.
  
• In a medium saucepan, melt remaining 4 Tbsp. butter over medium heat. Add flour and cook mixture, stirring constantly, 1 1/2 minutes.
  
• While whisking, slowly add in milk, and whisk vigorously to smooth lumps, season with salt and pepper to taste. Bring mixture to a boil and allow to thicken, whisking constantly.
  
• Remove from heat, stir in sour cream or heavy cream.
  
• Pour the milk mixture into soup mixture (once potatoes are tender) and stir.
  
• Serve warm and topped with bacon and chives.
  

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Notes

• • Salt: When seasoning slightly under-season with salt as the ham and bacon will add more saltiness to soup.
  
• • Ham: Leftover ham works beautifully but avoid using a sweet ham (brown sugar glazed, honey glazed, etc.) because the sweetness will not taste good in this chowder.
  
• • Spices: For a bit of a kick, add a pinch of cayenne pepper. This will not make it spicy but give it a hint of heat.
  
• • Potatoes: Yukon Golds and Russet potatoes are good substitutes for red potatoes. Russets are nice because they are more starchy than others and thicken the chowder nicely.