If you like potato soup, you will love Potato and Ham Chowder. Potato soup is my favorite soup.
The Potato and Ham Chowder was thicker than regular potato soup and also had an additional ingredient of.... corn. I had corn that I froze from this past summer. Since it is only Bill and I when I made corn this past summer I would boil a dozen and then cut the extra off the cob and freeze it. It is so nice to have a hint of that summer crop late in the winter :)
Look at all that yummyness! Potatoes, Ham, corn, BACON!!! and a sprinkle of cheddar cheese. Did I mention BACON.... I love a sprinkle of bacon on top of anything :)
Sounds like this week is gonna be another great week for some soup. Bill and I love soup especially when it gets cold outside. He never knows if he will have to work outside or not. If he has been outside a lot that day the soup is even extra special!
To make the soup extra creamy I add 1 cup whipping cream and 1/2 cup sour cream just before we eat. Oh when you add the thick and creamy sour cream and the luscious whipping cream the soup really gets thick and special. Actually I call this soup but the thickness reminds me more of a stew rather than soup.....oh YUM!
Potato and Ham Chowder
1/4 cup butter
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup onion, diced
1 1/2 cup frozen corn
1 teaspoon thyme
3 tablespoons flour
4 cups milk
6 potatoes, peeled and diced
1 cup ham, diced
1 cup whipping cream
1/2 cup sour cream
5 slices bacon, cooked and chopped
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Melt butter in a large soup pot. Add the onion and garlic and cook until tender. Add in the corn and thyme and continue to cook until the corn is thawed and tender.
Stir the flour into the corn mixture, after the corn is coated add the milk and continue to stir and cook until the mixture gets a little thick.
Stir in the potatoes and bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are tender.
Stir in the ham, continue to simmer until the ham is warm. Salt and Pepper to your taste.
When ham is warmed, stir in the whipping cream and sour cream. Continue to cook on low until the whipping cream and sour cream are mixed in.
Serve topped with bacon and cheese if desired.....enjoy!
* if your chowder is too thick for your liking just add in a little more milk to thin it out some :)