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This Ham and Corn Chowder is rich, creamy, and comforting! It’s the perfect recipe to warm you up this winter with lots of ham, corn, beans, potatoes and bacon!
Corn chowder with ham and potatoes and carrots is the ultimate comfort food meal.
The Coziest Of Vibes
It’s cold, it’s windy, you’ve just gotten in from a long day of work, and it’s time to put on the jammies (yes, before dinner, no one will know), and drag out the soup pot.
We’re making ham and corn chowder. It’s gonna be a whole vibe.
I positively LOVE this as a use for leftover ham (you’ve made our crockpot ham, right?). It’s the perfect way to breathe new life into leftovers.
Butttt, I’m not going to lie, this is excellent with the bag of perfectly cubed ham from the grocery store too. We’ve got options.
❔ What is Chowder?
Chowder (always pronounced chowdah, I don’t care where you’re from!) is a type of soup or stew that is thick, creamy, and hearty! It’s made with milk or cream and is often prepared with seafood, but we’re skipping that in favor of ham and sweet corn today.
There’s a variety of ways to prepare chowder and with various proteins but potatoes are usually in there. We’ve got a couple of other great recipes to try including our chicken corn chowder or sweet corn and bean chowder!
They’re all perfect for cold weather months, but are delicious in the summer with fresh sweet corn too.
Sweet Cornbread Recipe
This ham and corn chowder goes great with our yankee cornbread. It’s sweet and tender, easy to make from scratch, and always welcome on our table.
Ingredients & Substitutions:
Bacon & Ham – We fry up the bacon and use the grease to start cooking down the vegetables. This adds big flavor. The ham can be a bag of diced ham from the store (so easy) or leftover ham from a big meal! You could even swap in ground pork or sausage in place of the ham, but you’d want to drain off most of that fat.
Veggies – We’re using a mix of diced potatoes, carrots, onion, and garlic in this one. I like yukon gold potatoes, but really any potato you have on hand will be fine.
Frozen Sweet Corn – In addition to the other veggies we’re adding frozen corn! It’s quick, easy, and it works well here. If corn is in season, use fresh. It adds a perfect fresh vibe to the cozy soup.
Beans – I’m using canned white cannellini beans in this soup. Great Northern beans are a good alternative that’s often used in ham and corn chowder recipes. You can use whichever beans you like!
Seasoning – Even though this isn’t a seafood chowder I’m adding some Old Bay seasoning. There’s good stuff in there and it works well in this creamy soup. You’ll also need a bit of salt and pepper.
Milk & Flour – The combination of milk and flour works wonders to thicken up the soup and add that rich, creamy flavor and texture to the chowder!
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
My Favorite Dutch Oven!
This gorgeous Dutch oven is perfect for making soup, pot roast, and more. It goes from stove to oven as needed and looks pretty enough to leave out on your stovetop as decoration.
Step by Step:
Helpful Tips!
- Is the soup not thick or creamy enough? Stir in some heavy cream.
- This recipe is perfect for using up that leftover holiday ham! You can also use the fully cooked cubed ham from the grocery store.
- Serve this with our sweet cornbread on the side.
Freezing & Storage Instructions:
You can keep leftover ham and corn chowder stored in a covered container in your refrigerator for about 3 to 4 days. It can be reheated on the stove top.
Although you can freeze this soup for up to a few months the milk and creamy textures can sometimes separate. You may need to add a bit more milk while reheating. Let it thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
More Soup Recipes!
- Homemade Tomato Soup
- Crockpot Potato Soup
- Instant Pot Vegetable Beef Soup
- Broccoli Cauliflower Soup
- Instant Pot Bean Soup
- Cheeseburger Soup
Ham and Corn Chowder
Ingredients
- 6 slices bacon chopped
- 1 medium onion diced
- 2 medium carrots diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 large potatoes peeled and diced
- 5 cups chicken broth
- 2 cups diced ham
- 2 cups frozen sweet corn
- 14 ounces canned cannellini beans
- 1 tablespoon Old Bay seasoning
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cracked pepper
- 1 ½ cups milk
- 3 tablespoons flour
Instructions
- Heat a large dutch oven over medium heat. Add the bacon and onion and cook until onions are translucent, about 5 minutes.
- Add the carrots and garlic and cook for 2 more minutes.
- Add the potatoes and chicken broth and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes.
- Add the ham, corn, beans, and seasonings to the pot and simmer for 10 more minutes or until the potatoes are tender.
- Whisk together the milk and flour and pour into the pot of soup. Increase heat to a rolling boil and cook, stirring constantly, until the soup has thickened to your liking.
- Serve with crumbled bacon and green onions, if desired.
Stucky Angela says
This recipe was delicious. I will certainly make it again.
Karly Campbell says
I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe! ๐
Angela Stucky says
This is a winner.I do like all your recipes
Molly says
Made this Tonite to use up holiday ham. It was delicious! I made it as directed but had to use coconut milk for dietary reasons. Both husband and son went back for seconds and thirds! Served with cornbread on the side- thanks for a great recipe!
Karly says
Thanks for sharing, Molly!
summer! says
made this tonight.. comforting and very tasty thank you!
Karly says
Thanks, Summer!
Penny Karbel says
I was so excited to see this recipe. I had something like it and have searched for awhile! Then bonus! The sweet cornbread recipe is perfect too! I’m definitely a sweet cornbread kind of girl! Thanks and merry Christmas!
Karly says
Thanks, Penny! Merry Christmas!