Ham Corn Chowder is rich, creamy, and filling enough for a main dish.

Cheesy Ham Corn Chowder Recipe

 

Ham corn chowder is a comfort food for many Americans, but I’ll bet you’ve never tried one this rich, creamy, and flavorful. The chowder gets an extra boost of corn flavor from boiling the cobs in with the soup base. Sauteeing the onions in bacon grease adds a smoky depth, while the cheese and heavy cream add a silky smoothness. This chowder is hearty enough to use as a main meal, along with cornbread and a salad. Slurp, slurp, yum!

Have your ingredients all prepped and ready to go. Total cooking time is less than 30 minutes.

Cheesy Ham Corn Chowder Recipe

2 medium fresh ears of corn on the cob (see Notes)
2 slices thick-cut bacon (see Notes)
1/2 cup diced sweet onions
3 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 large red potatoes (1-1/4 to 2 pounds), peeled and cut into 1-inch dice
4 cups vegetable or chicken broth
1 teaspoon celery salt
1-1/4 cups shredded Cheddar cheese, divided use
1 cup heavy cream
2 cups diced ham (see Notes)
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1/4 cup sliced green onions, for garnish, optional

Shuck the corn and remove any silk. Stand each ear on its large end on a shallow plate. Cut the kernels from the cobs. Use the back of the knife to scrape down the sides of the cob to remove the milky juice. Reserve the cobs, and break them in half. Set the kernels and cobs aside for now.

In a large, heavy Dutch oven, cook the bacon until crispy. Remove the bacon strips and blot on paper towels. Break into 1/2-inch chunks and set aside for garnish.

Remove all but 3 tablespoons of the bacon grease. (If your bacon is very lean, you might not have enough grease. Add enough butter to make up the difference.) Add the onions and saute just until the onions begin to turn opaque. Sprinkle the flour over the onions and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute.

Stir in the vegetable or chicken stock, until it begins to thicken. Then add the potatoes, corn cobs, and celery salt. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are just barely tender. Remove the corn cobs, scraping off any liquid, and discard. Add the corn with its milk to the potatoes and return to a simmer. Cook for 3 minutes.

Remove 1 cup of the vegetables, plus 1/2 cup of broth and place in a blender or food processor. (See Notes.) Cover and pulse until smooth. Be careful of hot splashes! Return this puree to the chowder, along with 1 cup of the shredded Cheddar, the heavy cream, and ham. Return to a simmer, stirring until cheese has melted and ham is heated through. Taste and add salt, if necessary, as well as pepper to taste.

Garnish each serving with the crispy bacon chunks, remaining 1/4 cup of shredded Cheddar, and sliced green onions. Cornbread (see Notes) makes a great accompaniment.

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

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Notes:
• I bought a ham steak and cut it up myself. You’ll need about 3/4 pound. If you have leftover ham, by all means, use it! Diced ham is also now readily available pre-packaged in most markets. I prefer the ham steak, but the pre-cut works fine if you are running short on time.

• If fresh corn on the cob is not in season, you may substitute frozen corn or drained canned corn. You will need 2 cups. However, fresh is best!

• You may substitute turkey bacon or omit the bacon altogether. The bacon grease does add a depth of flavor. However, you may substitute 3 tablespoons of butter if you skip the bacon.

• If you have a 4-cup glass measuring cup and an immersion blender, use it instead of the blender or food processor to puree the vegetables.

• I add 1/4 cup each of corn kernels and green onions, plus 2 Tablespoons of bacon bits to my cornbread to go with this chowder.

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