Ham and Potato Chowder is a delicious and comforting soup that is great for colder weather. There are not a lot of complicated flavors in this recipe, instead the ingredients are straightforward letting you really taste the potato, ham and cream. It is especially great to make when you have leftover ham.
What is Chowder
Chowder is a soup or stew that has a milky or creamy base. It is also thickened with a roux or starch of some kind. In this Ham Chowder Recipe we thicken with three ingredients:
- Potatoes
- Heavy Whipping Cream
- Instant Potato Flakes
Chowder is also commonly served with oyster crackers or saltine crackers.
Instant Potato Flakes
This is not the time to snub your nose at Instant Potato Flakes! I know they have a bad reputation BUT they are perfect in this recipe. Promise!
I would not use them for the potatoes on my Thanksgiving table, but they make the perfect thickener for soups, like this Ham Chowder and this Instant Pot Potato Soup. They add a great layer of potato flavor and they thicken the soup perfectly! I also use them in this Cauliflower and Potato Chowder .
What Ham to use for Ham Chowder
If you have leftover spiral cut or bone in ham from the holidays or a celebration, lucky you!!! This is the perfect recipe to use up your leftover ham. (if you have a lot of ham check out this post on ways to use up leftover ham).
If you do not have leftover ham, don’t despair there are great options in the grocery store! You can buy a ham steak and it will still give you amazing ham flavor in your soup.
How To Make Ham and Potato Chowder
A note about SALT before you get started….You may be saying to yourself, “well she forgot the salt, I’ll just add a little”. STOP RIGHT THERE…there are a lot of salty ingredients in this recipe, so do not salt until you taste the finished product at the end, or you could ruin an entire pot of soup. That would be too sad. So pump the brakes and wait until the end.
Step 1
Sauté the onions. Add the potatoes, chicken base and chicken broth. Simmer until the potatoes are fork tender.
Step 2
Optionally smash some of the potatoes (a “meat chopper” is a great tool for this). Add in the seasonings and ham. Simmer for 5 minutes.
Step 3
Pour in the cream, then sprinkle in and whisk the potato flakes. Simmer for 5 minutes.
Step 4
Taste for salt, then serve!
Topping/Garnish Ideas
Serve topped with green onions. Some other great toppings would be sour cream, bacon bits, cheese, tabasco…. Anything you like on top of a loaded baked potato!
More Hearty Soup Recipes
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Ham and Potato Chowder Recipe + Video
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 large yellow or white onion - chopped (about 2 cups)
- 4 cups chicken stock or broth
- 2 cups water
- 2 teaspoon chicken base - I use Better Than Bouillon brand
- 3 cups potatoes - peeled and roughly diced – I like to use Yukon gold or russet
- 2 cups cooked ham - roughly chopped into ½ inch pieces
- ½ teaspoon dried basil
- black pepper - to taste
- 1 ½ cups heavy whipping cream
- ¾ cup potato flakes - regular or buttery flavor
- green onions - chopped for garnish *optional, but recommended
Do not salt until you taste the final soup! You may not need any salt.
Instructions
- In a large pot over medium-low heat cook the onion in the oil until they become translucent.1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 large yellow or white onion
- Add the chicken broth, water, chicken base, and potatoes to the onions. Cook over medium-high heat until the potatoes are fork tender, about 15-20 minutes.4 cups chicken stock or broth, 2 cups water, 2 teaspoon chicken base, 3 cups potatoes
- Lower heat to medium-low and add the ham, dried basil, and pepper. Cook for 5 minutes.2 cups cooked ham, ½ teaspoon dried basil, black pepper
- Whisk in the cream.1 ½ cups heavy whipping cream
- Slowly whisk in the potato flakes. Continue to cook for an additional 5 minutes.¾ cup potato flakes
- Serve garnished with green onions.
Recipe Tips and Notes:
Prepare completely, cool, and store in the fridge for up to 2 days.
To serve slowly warm on the stove over medium low heat, stirring occasionally, making sure it does not come to a boil. You may need to add a little liquid (milk or chicken stock) as it will thicken in the fridge.
