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!).
One 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.
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!
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @the_chunky_chef on Facebook and Instagram!
Ingredients
- 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 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
Instructions
- 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.
- 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.
- Serve sprinkled with extra cheese, black pepper and parsley if desired.
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Ruth says
This is delicious! I plan to make this every time I make a big ham now. Even my three kids (ages 6, 4, and 2) all loved it. I made it exactly as is except for cooking on high for 4 hours instead of low for 8 hours and I used dried herbs instead of fresh. This is such a good recipe and I highly recommend it!
Nicole says
Is it absolutely necessary to peel the potatoes? That seems to be the main nutritional value in potatoes. Just wondered if recipe would work without peeling.
The Chunky Chef says
I’ve never made it without peeling them first, since the peel would separate during cooking and I don’t think the peel would taste good on it’s own like that.
Joan Genego says
Just made this soup for tonight’s dinner & it was amazing !! I served with cornbread & salad & we were stuffed. Will definitely be making lots more over the winter.
Linda Amburgey says
Is this soup freezer safe
The Chunky Chef says
I tend to have problems with dairy being tricky to freeze, as it can separate, but you could also freeze the soup right after step 1, then add the cornstarch and milk when reheating.
Dawn says
I don’t understand your comment in step one. What does “potatoes through including chicken stock mean”?
The Chunky Chef says
Meaning, the first 8 ingredients (potatoes, corn, ham, onion, celery, garlic, pepper, and chicken stock).
Tina says
Can I use flour instead of corn starch?
The Chunky Chef says
Yes 🙂
Karen says
I made this on the stovetop in a couple hours, and used a little less sour cream. It turned out great! (I even used skim milk and it was still pretty creamy because of the potatoes!)
Kathleen says
I am not a fan of sour cream, can I omit this or is it necessary for creaminess? I would also like it loaded with potatoes. I guess maybe I would call it ham and potato soup lol. Is there plenty of room for more potatoes?. Thank you!
The Chunky Chef says
You could substitute the sour cream or heavy cream or half and half, and then there’d be more liquid for your extra potatoes 🙂
Mandy says
I have made this recipe several times, exactly as it’s written. It is wonderful!
Christine @ myblissfulmess says
We had a few rainy days last week and I still had some chopped up leftover ham in the freezer that needed to be used (I think I have one more package of it in the freezer still plus the ham bone) so I made this cheesy ham chowder. It’s super easy done in the slow cooker! To make it healthier for my WW loving self, I used 1% milk and light sour cream, which of course no one noticed. This never really thickened up the way I am used to chowders being, but that may be because I used 1% milk and light sour cream, but that was no matter! This was DELISH! It makes a lot so I packed some up to take to a friend. Kids LOVED this and gobbled up what little leftovers we had for lunch the next day. Excellent way to use up leftover ham!
Lisa says
I’ve never made a chowder but have made lots of soups. Had a bunch of leftover ham from Easter this chowder was incredible !! Could not stop eating it. Left the garlic out because we’re not huge garlic fans and added some diced carrots and frozen peas. Way better than any chowder my Mom ever made but I won’t tell her that. I prepped all the veggies the night before in the slow cooker and added the chicken broth, put it on in the morning before work and finished it up with the milk, cornstarch, sour cream and cheese when I came home. Absolutely delicious !!
Debbie says
Delicious! My 15 month granddaughter devoured it!!
Andrea says
Has anyone made this stovetop instead of slow cooker, and if so, how did you modify the cooking time?
The Chunky Chef says
You’ll just want to simmer until the potatoes are tender, then add in the milk/cornstarch mixture and cook until thickened.
Jan M. says
Absolutely delicious. I used cauliflower instead of corn, as corn doesn’t agree with me, but it was very good. My husband said it was so much better than anything you get out of a can, and I agree. Thanks for the recipe Amanda! It’s a keeper!
Kim F says
This chowder is amazing! I made a batch last week and I’m making more today. I used ham broth (cooked a ham bone in a crock pot for 12 hours, and then froze it) and subbed the corn for fresh sliced carrots. My whole family keeps raving about it! Ham and beans just took a major back seat.
Amy Calandra says
I forgot to mention in my previous comment that I used leftover spiral ham. Great way to use up leftovers!
Amy says
This is a definite keeper! My husband and I loved this soup!
Samantha Ann Schultz says
Ive never used potato flakes to thicken a soup/chowder, is it better than using cornstarch or do they yield the same results? If i use potato flakes do i do it Instead of the cornstarch or with it?. I want my soup very thick.
The Chunky Chef says
I don’t use potato flakes to thicken soup, so I can’t say for certain. I would try replying to some of the reader comments that mentioned using flakes.
Jen says
You can try pureeing some potatoes and using those as a thickener.
Haley says
Just made this tonight with leftover honey baled Christmas ham. It was AMAZING!!! Will definitely add to my staple recipe book!!!
Myrna says
Can you make this soup on the stove top?
The Chunky Chef says
Yes, certainly 🙂
JB says
It’s rare that I have all the ingredients for a recipe on my first viewing but when I looked around my kitchen I did, so I got out the slow cooker. The steps were easy to follow and soon I was putting the lid on it. A few stirs and a few hours later I was adding the sour cream and cheese and scooping some into a bowl. It tasted as good as it looked and smelled so I had another bowl. This was my first time making a chowder and because it was so easy to make I’ll be making it again, I’m sure. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
Sarah says
The type of milk used for this isn’t in stores is it okay to just use whole milk?
The Chunky Chef says
Yep, it’s just a brand of milk (this post was in partnership with the brand, which is why the brand name was mentioned – normally I never mention brands), so regular whole milk is perfectly fine 🙂