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Cheesy Ham and Potato Chowder

This made from scratch Cheesy Ham and Potato Chowder is thick and creamy and the perfect way to breathe new life into your leftover ham. Bacon, carrots, onion, and potato make this one hearty and delicious soup!

Cheesy Ham and Potato Chowder

Use Leftover Ham

Do you make a ham for the holidays and tend to have leftovers? Well, this soup along with Easy Ham and Cheese Quiche are great for using up bits and pieces of leftover Easter or Christmas ham. Serve with some Buttermilk Cornbread Muffins and you’ve turned a little bit of leftovers into another filling meal.

Cheesy Ham and Potato Chowder

Lots Of Bacon Flavor

This Cheesy Ham and Potato Chowder has lots of fantastic flavor and it all starts with bacon. Hard to go wrong when you start with bacon.  ðŸ™‚

The bacon grease gets used to cook some onions and carrots. I love the extra flavor the bacon grease adds and you know we southerners don’t like to put anything to waste!  ðŸ™‚

Thick Rich Texture

Flour is used as the thickening agent for this recipe. It is added to the sauteed onions and carrots, creating a roux. The flour helps thicken the milk to a degree that it has a really rich texture. For even more thickness and richness, you could add a half cup of heavy cream or half-and-half in place of half a cup of the milk.

Cheesy Ham and Potato Chowder

Flour, milk, and water are added plus Better Than Bouillon for flavor, along with garlic powder and white pepper. Some diced russet potatoes are added and simmered until soft.

The ham and cheese gets added just before serving. The cheddar cheese is what really makes this soup as delicious as it is. It’s hard to resist cheesy goodness. Plus it helps give the soup a really thick and hearty consistency.

Quick and Easy Soup Recipe

All said and done, you can have this Cheesy Ham and Potato Chowder on the table in under 30 minutes.

Which Potatoes Hold Up Best In Soup?

Yukon Gold Potatoes and Red Potatoes hold up really well in soup and work great for this recipe. I typicaly use russett potatoes because they are what I am most likely to have on hand but they don’t hold up quite as well. You really can’t go wrong with any of them.

Cheesy Ham and Potato Chowder

More Chowder Recipes To Try

Be sure to try these slow cooker version of ham chowder.

Watch the short video below to see how easy this recipe is to make.

Cheesy Ham and Potato Chowder

Cheesy Ham and Potato Chowder

This made from scratch Cheesy Ham and Potato Chowder is thick and creamy and the perfect way to breathe new life into your leftover ham.
PREP: 10 minutes
COOK: 25 minutes
TOTAL: 35 minutes
SERVINGS: 6

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 4 slices thick cut bacon, diced
  • 1 medium yellow or sweet onion, diced
  • 2 medium carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
  • 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 3 cups whole milk
  • 1 1/2 cups water
  • 2 teaspoons better than bouillon
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 3 medium russet potatoes, peeled and diced
  • 2 cups diced ham
  • 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Instructions

  • Cook diced bacon in a Dutch oven until crispy. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon and set aside.
  • Leave about 3 tablespoons bacon grease in the Dutch oven.
  • Add onion and carrots to bacon grease and cook over medium heat until soft.
  • Sprinkle flour over onions and carrots. Stir and cook for 1 minute.
  • Gradually stir in milk and water. Add Better Than Bouillon, black pepper, white pepper, garlic powder and potatoes and bring to a simmer.
  • Simmer for 15-20 minutes or until potatoes are soft.
  • Turn heat to low and stir in ham and cheese until cheese is melted. Sprinkle bacon on top. Serve.

Notes

Leftovers will keep for 4 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Reheat in the microwave or in a pot over medium-low heat. If too thick, thin with a little milk.
Nutritional info is provided as an estimate only and can vary greatly based on brands of products used.

Nutrition

Calories: 444kcal | Carbohydrates: 34g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.02g | Cholesterol: 82mg | Sodium: 915mg | Potassium: 786mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 3980IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 445mg | Iron: 2mg
Author: Christin Mahrlig
Course: Soup
Cuisine: American
Keyword: leftover ham

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Cheesy Ham and Potato Chowder

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links.

Originally published March 29, 2017

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66 thoughts on “Cheesy Ham and Potato Chowder”

  1. Nice recipe, came out good. Did a few things different; I had some ham stock from cooking the hambone to get the meat off, so I used that instead of water/Better than Bouillon. Made a double batch, and I threw a couple cans of corn with peppers in there, gave it some nice color, and I had a cheesy ham n’ corn chowder, mighty tasty.

  2. Bonnie Cole

    Followed the recipe exactly and my family loved it, very hearty and excellent for a cold day!!

  3. Best recipe yet for leftover ham. Very flavorful, hearty and the ultimate comfort food. I made a double batch and am going to see how freezing works.

  4. This is a wonderful chowder, perfect for a cold winter da, it’s now in my fall/winter rotation.

  5. Teresa Tilton

    This was wonderful for ham leftovers. I topped it with a dollop of sour cream which made it like loaded baked potato. I will make it again for sure.

  6. Good soup…. We just added one stalk of celery….
    Easy recipe, fast the very repeatable

  7. Soup was delicious I also tweaked the recipe by using chicken stock instead of bouillon and extra sharp cheddar it was amazing! I also used the leftover ham from Easter which was a little on the sweet side and a lot more than the ingredients called for but definitely a repeat

  8. Renee Rodriguez

    OMG! This is definitely a favorite in this horse! Comfort food on steroids. Add some Juffy cornbread muffins and you have a meal!

    1. I have substituted with bouillon before and it worked just fine, although it isn’t as flavorful as BTB and it is more salty than BTB so I wouldn’t add salt. Good luck!

  9. Justin Wilson

    I used sharp cheddar myself, and I went with beef better than bouillon as a personal preference, but other than that I followed the recipe exactly. Served this in some homemade bread bowls, and it was absolutely fantastic, this has earned a permanent place in my recipe book, thanks for the delicious meal!

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