Ingredients
6 slices bacon – cooked crispy and crumbled
2 c. cooked ham – diced into small cubes
1 medium yellow onion – diced
⅓ c. all-purpose flour
2 (14.5 ounces) cans of low-sodium chicken broth
¾ teaspoon dried oregano
2 carrots – peeled and diced
5 medium red potatoes (1 ¾ pound) – diced into ¾” cubes
2 celery stalks – diced
3 c. milk
½ c. sour cream or heavy cream
5 ½ tablespoons butter – divided
1 bay leaf
½ teaspoon dried thyme
2 c. fresh corn (or frozen)
Chopped green onions or chives, for serving
Salt and freshly ground black pepper – to taste
How to make Ham and Potato Corn Chowder
Step 1: Melt 1 ½ tablespoons butter in a large pot over medium heat. To the melted butter, add the onion, carrot, and celery. Cook for about 4 minutes, stirring often. Then, pour in the chicken broth and add the potatoes, oregano, thyme, and bay leaf. To taste, season with salt and pepper.
Step 2: Bring everything to a boil on medium-high heat. Once boiling, adjust the heat to medium. Put the lid on and continue to cook for another 15 minutes, stirring often, until the potatoes are almost tender.
Step 3: Next, add the ham and corn. Cook for additional 5 minutes or until the potatoes are tender.
Step 4: Melt the rest of the 4 tablespoons of butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Once the butter has melted, stir in the flour and cook for 1 ½ minutes while stirring constantly.
Step 5: Gradually add in the milk while stirring vigorously to remove any lumps. To taste, season with salt and pepper. To thicken, bring the mixture to a boil while stirring.
Step 6: Take the pot off the heat and whisk in the sour cream or heavy cream.
Step 7: Into the soup mixture, add the milk, and stir well.
Step 8: Serve the ham and potato corn chowder warm topped with some chives and bacon. Enjoy!
Notes:
Slightly under-season the dish with soup as the ham and bacon will add more soup to the soup.
I suggest avoiding sweet ham. But you can use leftover ham.
Feel free to add a punch of cayenne pepper for a bit of a kick.
You can use Yukon Golds and Russet potatoes instead of red potatoes.