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Ham and Potato Chowder {Gluten-free}

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There is not much better on a cold fall or winter day than a bowl of hot gluten-free soup. One of my family’s favorite soups is this gluten-free ham chowder that combines chunks of ham, potatoes, corn and lots of cheese to make a creamy, hearty soup. This ham and potato chowder is always a hit everywhere we bring it. It makes a huge batch with plenty to share!

Two bowls of ham chowder

This ham and potato chowder recipe was passed on to me years ago by a friend, who got it from a friend, so who knows where it originated from! I’m so thankful for it though!

I’ve altered it over the years to suit our taste preferences and, of course, to make it gluten-free. Now it is one of the most requested soups at our house!

My kids will sit up and eat multiple bowls of this cheesy ham and potato soup for several nights in a row, which I call success!

For the ham, make sure you double-check that the ham is gluten-free. I usually cook up a spiral sliced Kirkland ham from Costco (which is clearly labeled gluten-free), then I cube and freeze the leftovers to use in recipes like this soup.

There are many other brands that clearly label their ham as gluten-free, so just make sure you are checking. While I doubt many companies inject their ham with gluten, there can be gluten in the seasoning packets that come with them. If I don’t have leftover ham, I will often pick up the Hormel ham steaks that Costco sells in a 3-pack, and I’ll cube one of those up for this ham and cheese soup.

Bowl of Ham and Corn Chowder

 

Notes on ingredients for this Ham Chowder Recipe:

  • Ham: As noted above, many store-bought hams are clearly labeled gluten-free – look for those!
  • Potatoes: My favorite potatoes to use in this are Butter Gold potatoes  or Yukon Gold potatoes. Regular baking potatoes are fine in this too, but have a little drier texture. I like the creamier, buttery texture of the gold potatoes much better.
  • Corn: I use organic frozen corn that I buy in a big bag from Costco. No need to thaw!
  • Carrots: You can peel regular, whole carrots, then chop up. But my time-saving tip is to buy shredded carrots, then just give them a few chops and you’re done! No peeling!

Oh, I have to tell you – if you don’t have a good potato peeler, I just found a great peeler that I love! I didn’t realize how terrible my old metal potato peeler was until I got this new one! You can buy it here on Amazon–> Oxo Good Grips Peeler.

What else can you serve with this ham and corn chowder recipe?

Whether you’re bringing this to a potluck or feeding to your family, you might consider making a batch of gluten-free cornbread to go with it. A great side dish would be my apple grape salad. If you want to serve a green veggie beside this soup, try this lemon asparagus recipe.

I recommend setting out salt, pepper, chopped green onions and parsley so people can add any of those they would like.

I hope you’ll put this cheesy ham and potato soup on your menu plan to enjoy on one of these cold days!

Cheesy Ham and Potato Soup Recipe gluten-free

Ham and Potato Chowder Recipe:

Yield: 8 bowls

Ham Chowder {Gluten-free}

Two bowls of ham chowder

This ham chowder will be a hit with anyone that likes ham and cheese. It's a hearty gluten-free soup!

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 3/4 cups water
  • 2 cups peeled, cubed Butter Gold or Yukon Gold potatoes (cubes about 1/2" to 3/4")
  • 1/2 cup sliced carrots (I buy shredded carrots and chop those in thirds)
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 3/4 tsp. garlic salt
  • 1/2 tsp. pepper
  • 1/4 cup butter
  • 1/4 cup cornstarch
  • 2 cups milk
  • 2 cups (8 oz.) sharp cheddar cheese (cubed or shredded)
  • 2 cups frozen or fresh corn
  • 1 1/2 or 2 cups cubed ham (fully cooked)

Instructions

  1. In a large pot, bring water, potatoes, carrots, and garlic to a boil. Stir in salt, garlic salt, and pepper.
  2. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 8-10 minutes or until potatoes and carrots are tender. Add the ham cubes and frozen corn. Reduce heat to lowest setting.
  3. Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, melt the butter, then whisk in the cornstarch.
  4. Add the milk to the butter/cornstarch mixture and whisk together.
  5. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly.
  6. Add cheddar cheese cubes or shreds and stir until melted.
  7. Pour creamy contents of medium saucepan into the large pot of ham and vegetables. Heat through over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until read to serve. Taste a little to see if you would prefer additional seasonings.

Notes

This cheesy ham and potato soup freezes well and reheats well on the stove. I like to make a double batch and freeze half for another night a few weeks later. You may prefer adding additional milk when reheating the leftovers to thin the soup out a bit.

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© Michelle @ MyGluten-freeKitchen.com
Cuisine: American / Category: Soups

Pin this Ham Chowder Recipe to your gluten-free soups board on Pinterest
Ham Chowder (gluten-free) 

Old photos of this gluten-free ham cheddar chowder  from 2013:
Gluten-free Ham Cheddar Chowder Soup - This creamy, hearty soup is a favorite of kids and adults!

I hope you and your family enjoy this ham potato soup as much as my family does!

Related posts:

30 minute Gluten-free Chicken Tortilla Soup {Dairy-free option}
Gluten-free Cheesy Baked Potato Soup
Gluten-free Beef Stew in Slow Cooker

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Comments

  1. So tasty! Made this tonight with ham steaks and plain ‘old white potatoes. The given seasonings were perfect. Thanks for this tasty and easy recipe!

    Reply

  3. I just started experimenting with going Gluten-Free for some health issues I’m trying to get figured out.
    I’m not even a soup or chowder person, but I came across your recipe and thought I’d give it a try. SO glad I did! This was amazing! I paired it with gluten free buns made into garlic bread.

    Reply

  4. I had some left over Christmas ham and potatoes and carrots I needed to use up. I found this recipe and decided to try it. My husband is not a soup person.. However this came out so awesome! Everyone in my house loves it!!
    I didn’t change a single thing!! Thanks so much!

    Reply

  5. Michelle
    I love this recipe. It is easy and my kids love it. Thank you for your recipes I have tried a ton of your main dishes. All of them are good. Thank you. We are not completely off gluten but this makes it easier.

    Reply

  6. The temperatures here have been in the single digits and lower for the past month. A warm savory soup really hit the spot! This soup recipe IS OVER THE TOP!
    The cheesey potatoes, garlic and carrots with the chunks of ham were delightful. Fixed a pan of cornbread and we ate until we could eat no more. Very intense flavor…definitely putting this recipe in my phone so no matter where we are we have a warm and savory meal. THANK YOU, THANK YOU!

    Reply

  7. Made this because I recently had to switch to gluten-free and THIS IS AMAZING! My boyfriend even loved it just as much as I did! Definitely making it again! and soon!!

    Reply

  8. LOVED THIS! I added a bit more potato, butter and cheddar that it called for but not a lot. I also added milled flax seed and a little bit of Bacon with spinach. Everyone loved it! I’ve never head people moan while eating before. When I was a kid my mom would make potato soup and it would be a long and tiring thing to make, with this recipe it is SO easy and so quick! After I created the butter, cheese and cornstarch I put all the veggies in a crock pot and poured the mixture on top of it. I put the crockpot set on ‘keep warm’ and let it stew. So far best thing I’ve made with left over ham and a few veggies!

    Reply

    • Kasie,
      So sorry I missed seeing this comment back when you posted it! Thanks so much for letting me know about the great additions you made to the recipe. Love the idea of slipping some flax seed in for nutrition, along with the spinach. I like to sneak in spinach anytime I can, so I can’t believe I hadn’t tried that here yet!
      Thanks for your comment! Hope you can enjoy this again soon!

      Reply

  11. Thank you for this recipe! My mom bought a huge ham for us for Easter so I’ve got some ham to use up this week. I’m going to try to make most of this in the crockpot since we have a busy week and put the cheese and butter in when we go home.

    Reply

  12. This was delicious. I think I should have backed off on the garlic a bit, or minced it finer. Other than that an easy and delicious supper (I bought diced ham!). It did seem, to me, that the cornstarch rue took a little longer to thicken than a traditional flour based one.

    Reply

  13. Ham Cheddar Chowder is an excellent soup that can be made quickly for an evening meal. I made it with unsweetened rice milk . Wonderful flavor!

    Reply

  14. I made this last night for my family and it was a hit. This was very tasty and hearty. My two girls loved it and so did Daddy!

    Reply

  16. This was delish.

    My ten year old soon had a decent bowl and then just requested a small bowl for a snack. If he into second and thirds I know we have a keeper.

    Reply

      • This is a wonderful recipe! I doubled it and put 1/2 in the freezer. I followed your directions but added rosemary, sage and some mixed seasonings we have. I would add a bit more potatoes but otherwise, it’s awesome! Thank you so much for sharing!

        Reply

  18. What a beautiful and delicious looking soup! This recipe is definitely a keeper and my family members that don’t do gluten will especially love it! 🙂

    Reply

  21. I just made this recipe for my family. I followed the directions exactly and it was PERFECT as written! Thank you for this gluten-free recipe! It’s definitely a keeper!

    Reply

  22. I made this soup tonight and it was amazing! I felt like I totally succeeded with this recipe. The sauce took about 20-30 minutes to thicken on 3.0-3.5. Thank you so much, so glad I doubled it, now I can pull it out of the freezer at a later date! Thank you!

    Reply

  23. Thanks for this tasty recipe which is an excellent way to use leftover baked ham! Will def be making this again as both hubby and I thoroughly enjoyed!

    Reply

  28. I enjoyed this recipe using our leftover ham from Christmas dinner. Maybe it was my mistake, but it came out very thick so I had thin it out with quite a bit of milk. I also used less cheese, about 1.25 cups, and topped the soup with some shredded cheese and chopped green onions. Thanks!

    Reply

  29. LOVE LOVE LOVE THIS!!!

    I use Yukon gold potatoes and heavy whipping cream instead of milk. Once prepared I put it the crockpot for a few hours, it gets a bacon flavor to it.

    Reply

  30. Thanks for this great recipe! I’m doing my best to use all the ham from Thanksgiving, and this was the perfect place for the little ends that stayed on the bone. The cornstarch-butter-milk method is very good! I will definitely use it on other things I make for our gluten-free household. We like a thick soup, so this one is a good meal in and of itself. If you like a thinner soup you may want to reduce the cornstarch. This is a winner!

    Reply

  31. I love this recipe. It is my go to potato chowder and I have made it on many occasions. Tonight I am swapping the ham for a little bacon!

    Reply

  32. Y-U-M!!! I will have to make a double batch next time in order to freeze any – there were no leftovers! 🙂 I’m just beginning the journey to Gluten Free and this recipe is definitely one that I will make again. Even my fussy hubby liked it! Thank you!!

    Reply

  33. This was a hit after Thanksgiving and now the family wants it again as a break from the heavy Christmas leftovers, to make it easy I just get a ham steak from the deli section and cube it. With frozen corn it is easy and takes little time.

    Reply

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