Slow Cooker Cheesy Ham Chowder
Warm up in the most comforting way… a big bowl of this cheesy ham chowder, made easy in the slow cooker! Perfect for a busy weeknight!
Have some leftover ham? This cheesy ham chowder is the most mouthwatering solution! Even if you don’t have any leftover ham, it’s perfect to make on a chilly weeknight, and hearty enough to feed your whole family!
This post was brought to you by the makers of Promised Land Dairy. I received compensation to write this post through the Far From Ordinary Milk program. All opinions expressed are my own.
Okay I know that it’s not officially Fall until September 22nd, but it’s after Labor Day, which makes it unofficially my favorite season… Fall! I can’t get enough of the comforting meals like this cheesy ham chowder. On a chilly day, there’s nothing better than cozying up to a big bowl of thick, creamy chowder! The best part about this version? It’s made in the slow cooker! Just add the first several ingredients to the slow cooker, cover and cook on low, and walk out the door! When you come back home for dinner, all it takes is a mere 20 minutes before it’s 100% ready to go… so you can use that time to unwind, take the trash out… or maybe sit down and read your favorite food blog (wink wink!).
MY LATEST RECIPESOne thing I love about this ham chowder is that it’s deliciously creamy, but with no heavy cream! Whole milk and some sour cream give it all the creaminess it needs, while also cutting down on fat and calories. I know it may seem weird to talk about cutting back on calories when this soup is rich and hearty like it is, but why add unnecessary calories?!
Over the next couple of months, there are a few holidays where you might serve ham, and inevitably have a bunch of ham leftover right? I know every time I serve ham, I’m left with SO much. After some ham sandwiches, and these puffs, I’m usually stumped as to what to do with all the leftovers. That’s where this chowder recipe comes to the rescue! It uses 4 cups of diced ham, so it’ll put a good dent in your leftover pile 🙂
BUT WHAT IF I DON’T HAVE LEFTOVER HAM?
Great question! You totally don’t have to use leftover ham for this recipe. Obviously it’s a great leftover idea, but not everyone serves ham and has leftovers right? I like to grab some fully cooked boneless ham steaks from the grocery store and just cube them up. In fact, that’s actually what I did for these pictures. The only ham I wouldn’t use would be really thin sliced lunchmeat… it might disintegrate during the long cook time.
The thing that takes this chowder to the next level is the quality ingredients you use, which is why I love to use Promised Land Dairy whole milk! Have you tried their milk? Promised Land Dairy Whole Milk comes from pampered Jersey cows, which are originally from the British Isle of Jersey, and it’s naturally creamier and richer compared to other regular milks. How cool is that?! Not only is it fantastic in dinner recipes like this one, but it adds a great creamy taste to my morning cereal, and my kids LOVE drinking it! Check your grocery store’s refrigerated section and pick up a bottle to taste the difference.
LOOKING FOR MORE SLOW COOKER RECIPES?
- Slow Cooker Spaghetti Bolognese Sauce
- Slow Cooker Shredded Italian Beef
- Slow Cooker Creamy White Chicken Chili
- Slow Cooker Copycat Zuppa Toscana
- Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Chicken
- Slow Cooker Ranch Mushrooms
Grab some crackers, a spoon, and dig in!! Also, we love to make this no knead bread to serve alongside… nothing beats it!
I hope you all pick up some Promised Land Dairy Whole Milk and give this recipe a try!!
Warm up in the most comforting way... a big bowl of this cheesy ham chowder, made easy in the slow cooker! Perfect for a busy weeknight!
- 1 1/2 lbs. russet potatoes, peeled and diced into 1/2" cubes (about 3 medium sized potatoes)
- 20 oz canned corn (drained), or frozen corn (thawed)
- 4 cups cubed ham steaks, diced into 1/2" cubes
- 1 large yellow onion, diced
- 4 ribs celery, diced
- 4-5 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 4 cups chicken stock (or broth)
- 2 cups Promised Land Dairy Whole Milk
- 2 Tbsp cornstarch
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 cup sour cream
- 2 Tbsp fresh minced parsley
- extra parsley, pepper and cheese, for garnish
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To a 6 qt slow cooker, add the first 8 ingredients (potatoes through and including chicken stock). Stir, cover, and cook on LOW for 8-10 hours, until potatoes are tender.
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In a small mixing bowl, whisk milk and cornstarch until smooth. Stir into soup in slow cooker, cover and cook on HIGH 20-25 minutes until thickened, stirring occasionally. Turn off heat, stir in cheese, sour cream and parsley until cheese is melted.
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Serve sprinkled with extra cheese, black pepper and parsley if desired.
Can you make this without a slow cooker?
Absolutely! Saute the onion and celery with a pat of butter over medium heat in a large dutch oven or soup pot for about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and saute for 1 minute. Add corn, ham, and diced potatoes. Season with black pepper and a pinch of salt. Add chicken stock and stir to combine. Increase heat to medium high and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer about 20 minutes, or until potatoes are tender. In a separate bowl, whisk cornstarch and milk until well mixed, then add to soup pot. Stir and cook until thickened to your liking. Stir in cheese, sour cream and parsley until cheese is melted.
Can I use creamed corn in this, my husband cannot have regular corn? Recipe sounds amazing, so I am gonna cook it with the creammed corn :o}
how many servings is this recipe?
Hi Dianne 🙂 There’s a little green box in the upper left hand corner of the recipe box that says how many servings it is, but this one is 10 servings.
RAINING CATS AND DOGS OUTSIDE!
This Chowder is amazing with garlic bread, Thank You!
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Looks amazing! Question: Is there an option to cook this soup on high for a shorter amount of time?
Hi Danielle 🙂 I would say 4-5 hours on HIGH would do the trick.
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So good, and so easy. I cut my potatoes on the smaller side, total cooking time on low (including 2nd & 3rd steps of adding milk/corn starch & cheese/sour cream) was right around 6 1/2 hours. Will make again for sure.
So so good! I made it in my Instant Pot and it turned out great. (Manual Pressure for 10 minutes and then a quick release) and then turn it off. I then added my milk, sour cream, frozen corn and cornstarch, stirred it well and put on the sauté function just until it is heated through and thickened. Do not boil the milk will curdle. Serve.
I Love This Chowder.
Wonderful family loved
This looks amazing and such perfect comfort food!! Question: Can this soup be frozen? It’s just my husband and me, so this would make way too much food to be eaten in a day or so. I’d love to make a big batch and freeze the leftovers. Thanks for the delicious recipe!
Hi Gloria 🙂 I’ve never frozen this soup, so I can’t say for sure. I do know that I’ve had problems with other dairy soups not reheating well after being frozen, and then some others do just fine… so if you want to try it, I can’t vouch for the results. You could also freeze the soup right after step 1, then add the cornstarch and milk when reheating the thawed soup (either in a pot on the stove or in the slow cooker). If it does work though, I’d love to hear about it, and I’ll amend the recipe to share it 🙂 Hope you love the soup!
Great idea for leftover ham! I’m definitely filing this one away for post-holiday plans!
Slow Cooker recipes are the best and this looks amazing! thanks for sharing can’t wait to give it a try
Yes, yes, 1000x yes! This looks so incredibly delish- the perfect fall soup! And obviously scores extra points for low maintenance. Saving now!
So creamy! A perfect meal for cold weather!
So creamy! This looks delicious, and I just LOVE those chunks of potatoes!
So happy it’s soup season! This looks delicious!
I want to warm up to a big bowl of this now!
This is perfect comfort food! I’m like you, after Labor Day it’s FALL!!
This does look like the perfect way to warm up on a cool fall day!
This chowder looks AMAZING!!!! I can’t wait to try it!