Easy Ham and Corn Chowder

This ham and corn chowder recipe is loaded with potatoes, bacon, and plenty of corn! It’s creamy, comforting, and easy to make. 

This ham potato and corn chowder recipe is based on my popular chicken and corn chowder. The ingredients and cooking process are fairly similar, so if you like that recipe (and if you like ham), you may want to give this one a try too!

This corn chowder with ham is made from everyday ingredients. Bacon, onion, celery, and garlic infuse a ton of flavor. The flour and potatoes thicken the soup and make it hearty. Italian seasoning and a pinch of cayenne pepper (optional – it doesn’t make it spicy but it adds a little something-something) punch up the taste even more. And cream gives it that signature silkiness. 

This is one of those recipes that’s great for leftover ham from Easter or Christmas, but you can also just buy a piece of ham and cut it up like I did. You can find smaller pieces of ham (like around 1-2 pounds) in most major grocery stores.

Recipe notes & tips:

• As ham and bacon can be quite salty, you may want to use low-sodium chicken broth if you have any concerns with salt content.
• I haven’t tried making this recipe with anything besides cream, so with any recipe, substitutions are at your own risk. Someone made my other (similar) chowder recipe with half-and-half instead of cream, and the heat curdled it, so just be mindful if you’re doing a substitution.
• The soup gets thicker the longer you leave it. You can add more chicken broth to leftovers to thin it out if needed.
• I used frozen corn. You could definitely use fresh or canned corn if you wish.
• I like the starchiness of Russet potatoes, but you can use a different variety if you like.

I hope you’ll love this satisfying soup recipe! It really warms you up and sticks to your ribs. 🙂

More tasty recipes with ham:

• Ham and Potato Soup (Dairy-Free)
• Ham and White Bean Soup
• One Pot Ham and Pea Pasta
• Instant Pot Split Pea Soup (with ham OR vegetarian)

Questions about this corn chowder recipe with ham and potatoes? Made it? Leave me a comment below!

Tag me #saltandlavender on Instagram if you’ve made any of my recipes so I can see your creations.

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Ham and Corn Chowder

This ham and corn chowder recipe is loaded with potatoes, bacon, and plenty of corn! It's creamy, comforting, and easy to make. 

Course Soup

Cuisine American

Keyword corn chowder with ham, ham and corn chowder, ham and potato corn chowder

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes

Total Time 50 minutes

Servings 6

Calories 459 kcal

Author Natasha Bull

Ingredients

• 4 strips bacon cut into small pieces
• 1/2 medium onion chopped
• 2 sticks celery chopped
• 1/4 cup flour
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 4 cups chicken broth or stock
• 1 cup heavy/whipping cream
• 2 cups frozen corn
• 1 pound smoked ham chopped
• 2 large Russet potatoes peeled & diced
• 1 dash Italian seasoning
• 1 pinch cayenne pepper optional
• Salt & pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Prep your bacon (I use kitchen shears to make cutting it up easy) and add it to a large pot over medium-high heat. Cook until crispy (about 10 minutes).

2. Meanwhile, prep your onion, celery, ham, and potatoes. 

3. Once the bacon is crispy, take it out of the pot and remove to a paper towel lined plate. Leave the bacon fat in the pot. 

4. Add the onion and celery to the pot and sauté for 5 minutes.

5. Stir in the flour and cook for about a minute, stirring nearly constantly.

6. Add in the garlic, followed by the chicken broth. Give it a good stir to ensure the flour has dissolved and the flavorful brown bits are scraped up from the bottom of the pot. 

7. Add in the cream, corn, ham, potatoes, Italian seasoning, cayenne pepper, and most of the bacon (I save the rest for garnishing the bowls later on). Increase the heat to high and bring the soup to a boil. Once it's boiling, reduce the heat to a rapid simmer so it's gently boiling. 

8. Cook until the potatoes are tender (about 15-20 minutes). Stir every so often. The soup will get thicker the longer you cook it.

9. Season the soup with salt & pepper if needed. Garnish with the rest of the bacon.

Recipe Notes

• Serves 4-6 depending on portion size.
• If you're sensitive to salt, use low-sodium chicken broth. Ham can be quite salty.
• Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy only and should be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. Ingredients can vary and Salt & Lavender makes no guarantees to the accuracy of this information

Nutrition Facts

Ham and Corn Chowder

Amount Per Serving

Calories 459 Calories from Fat 216

% Daily Value*

Fat 24g37%

Saturated Fat 12g75%

Cholesterol 100mg33%

Sodium 1624mg71%

Potassium 1109mg32%

Carbohydrates 43g14%

Fiber 4g17%

Sugar 2g2%

Protein 21g42%

Vitamin A 643IU13%

Vitamin C 24mg29%

Calcium 73mg7%

Iron 3mg17%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.