Ham and Corn Chowder

4.96 from 71 votes

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

Prep Time10

Cook Time40

Total Time50

Course: Soup

Cuisine: American

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

Servings:

Author: Natasha Bull

Ingredients

4 strips bacon
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
1/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 pinch cayenne pepper optional
Salt & pepper to taste

Instructions

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).
Meanwhile, prep your onion, celery, ham, and potatoes.
Once the bacon is crispy, transfer it to a paper towel lined plate. Leave the bacon fat in the pot.
Add the onion and celery to the pot and sauté for 5 minutes.
Stir in the flour and garlic and cook for about a minute, stirring nearly constantly.
Stir in the chicken broth, and ensure the flour has dissolved and the flavorful brown bits are scraped up from the bottom of the pot.
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.
Cook with the lid slightly open until the potatoes are tender (about 15-20 minutes). Stir every so often. The soup will get thicker the longer you cook it.
Season the soup with salt & pepper if needed. Garnish with the rest of the bacon.

Notes

Serves 4-6 depending on portion size.
If you're sensitive to salt, use low-sodium chicken broth. Ham can be quite salty.

Nutrition