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You are here: Home / Soups / Ham and Potato Chowder {Gluten-free}

Ham and Potato Chowder {Gluten-free}

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November 21, 2013 by Michelle Palin ~ My Gluten-free Kitchen 57 Comments

Thanks for sharing!

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?

If you’re bringing this to a potluck, 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}

Ham Chowder {Gluten-free}

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.

Recommended Products

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

  • OXO Good Grips Swivel Peeler
    OXO Good Grips Swivel Peeler
  • Kuhn Rikon Easy-Clean Garlic Press, No Need to Peel, Red
    Kuhn Rikon Easy-Clean Garlic Press, No Need to Peel, Red
  • Argo 100% Pure Corn Starch, 16 Oz, Pack of 2
    Argo 100% Pure Corn Starch, 16 Oz, Pack of 2
© 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:

Gluten-free Cheeseburger Soup
30 minute Gluten-free Chicken Tortilla Soup {Dairy-free option}
Busy Mom's Gluten-free Slow Cooker Chicken Noodle Soup

Thanks for sharing!

Filed Under: Soups Tagged With: egg-free, gluten-free recipes, great leftovers, Pork, potatoes, soup

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Comments

  1. Jill says

    December 3, 2013 at 12:18 am

    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
    • Michelle Palin ~ My Gluten-free Kitchen says

      December 5, 2013 at 4:27 pm

      Jill,
      So glad that you tried this out and liked it! Thanks so much for stopping by and leaving a comment!

      Reply
  2. Amanda says

    December 3, 2013 at 12:08 pm

    Hi there,

    We only drink almond milk. Could I substitute the milk for half and half (10% cream)? Thanks.

    Reply
    • Michelle Palin ~ My Gluten-free Kitchen says

      December 5, 2013 at 4:28 pm

      I think almond milk would work in this. Just make sure it is unsweetened, not flavored, of course!

      Reply
  3. J. Ivy Boyter says

    December 5, 2013 at 4:19 pm

    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
    • Michelle Palin ~ My Gluten-free Kitchen says

      December 5, 2013 at 4:30 pm

      Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment and rating. I’m so glad you tried it even though you aren’t a big soup or chowder person. Now you’ll have a hearty gluten-free meal in your rotation! Hope you get your health issues figured out soon too! ~Michelle

      Reply
  4. Annette Oswlad says

    December 26, 2013 at 11:34 am

    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
    • Michelle Palin ~ My Gluten-free Kitchen says

      December 26, 2013 at 12:31 pm

      Annette, I’m so glad that everyone in your house loves it! I’ll be making it this week with our leftover Christmas ham as well!
      Thanks so much for stopping by to leave this sweet comment!

      Reply
  5. Laura Krivonen says

    January 3, 2014 at 4:11 pm

    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
    • Michelle Palin ~ My Gluten-free Kitchen says

      January 4, 2014 at 5:42 pm

      Laura,
      Thanks so much for commenting! I had no idea that you were trying out all these main dishes! It makes me so happy that you are finding some good ones for your family!!

      Reply
  6. Cathy O'Hara says

    February 11, 2014 at 5:01 pm

    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
    • Michelle Palin ~ My Gluten-free Kitchen says

      April 2, 2014 at 10:12 am

      Cathy,
      I’m so glad you loved this! Your comments made me smile! Great idea on pairing it with cornbread! We love that combo too! Hope you get to enjoy this meal many times in the future! Thanks so much for commenting and rating the recipe! ~Michelle

      Reply
  7. chelsea says

    March 2, 2014 at 3:04 pm

    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
    • Michelle Palin ~ My Gluten-free Kitchen says

      April 2, 2014 at 12:58 pm

      Chelsea,
      So glad you and your boyfriend loved this! It is great to have yummy meals like this in your rotation for sure. Thanks so much for your comment!

      Reply
  8. Kasie says

    April 2, 2014 at 10:04 am

    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
    • Michelle Palin ~ My Gluten-free Kitchen says

      November 2, 2014 at 12:19 pm

      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
  9. starkeyg says

    April 2, 2014 at 11:35 am

    Have you substituted clams?

    Reply
    • Michelle Palin ~ My Gluten-free Kitchen says

      April 2, 2014 at 12:34 pm

      Gail,
      No I haven’t tried those in this. The creamy part of this is very cheesy, unlike a traditional clam chowder. Remaking traditional clam chowder is definitely on my list!

      Reply
  10. NurseKim says

    April 20, 2014 at 7:10 pm

    Made this tonight! Delish!

    Reply
  11. Leigh Ann says

    April 21, 2014 at 12:48 pm

    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
    • Michelle Palin ~ My Gluten-free Kitchen says

      November 2, 2014 at 12:21 pm

      Leigh Ann,
      How did this work for you in the crock pot? I haven’t tried it that way yet, and another reader was asking. I’d love to know if it worked well that way or not!

      Reply
      • Leigh Ann says

        November 2, 2014 at 1:47 pm

        It worked nicely. I cooked it slowly over 8 hours.

        Reply
  12. Jaimi says

    August 3, 2014 at 6:24 pm

    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
    • Michelle Palin ~ My Gluten-free Kitchen says

      August 12, 2014 at 12:14 pm

      Jaimi,
      Glad you liked it! We love garlic around here, so yes, you might want to decrease it a bit next time if you found it to be too garlicky. Hope you’ll get to enjoy it often in the future!

      Reply
  13. S Birmingham says

    August 12, 2014 at 10:14 am

    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
    • Michelle Palin ~ My Gluten-free Kitchen says

      August 12, 2014 at 12:16 pm

      So glad you thought it was excellent! Good to know that the rice milk worked well in it. Thanks for that tip!

      Reply
  14. Christine says

    September 16, 2014 at 9:57 am

    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
    • Michelle Palin ~ My Gluten-free Kitchen says

      November 2, 2014 at 12:20 pm

      Christine,
      So glad to hear it was a hit with your family like it is with mine! Hope you can enjoy it again soon!

      Reply
      • Christine says

        November 18, 2014 at 7:48 pm

        I just made this for the fourth time. My eldest craves it!

        Reply
  15. Anna says

    October 4, 2014 at 6:22 pm

    The whole family enjoyed this! We doubled the recipe. Mellow flavours, yet rich. Will make again! Thank you!

    Reply
    • Michelle Palin ~ My Gluten-free Kitchen says

      November 2, 2014 at 12:16 pm

      Anna,
      A double-batch is a good idea with this recipe! Yum! Glad your family all enjoyed it!

      Reply
  16. Charlene Lammers says

    October 7, 2014 at 7:19 pm

    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
    • Michelle Palin ~ My Gluten-free Kitchen says

      November 2, 2014 at 12:15 pm

      Charlene,
      I’m so glad that you and your son thought it was delish! My 10 year old loves it too! Thanks for your comment & 5 star rating! 🙂

      Reply
  17. Sarah says

    October 9, 2014 at 10:31 am

    Could I make this in the crock pot? Suggestions?

    Reply
    • Michelle Palin ~ My Gluten-free Kitchen says

      November 2, 2014 at 12:14 pm

      Sarah,
      I haven’t tried it in the crock pot yet. Definitely on my list to try! I think you would need to wait to add the milk mixture and the cheese until the last hour of cooking. Let me know if you give it a try!

      Reply
      • Erica says

        November 2, 2014 at 7:04 pm

        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. cristina says

    November 16, 2014 at 1:36 pm

    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
  19. Dee Wilson says

    November 16, 2014 at 3:00 pm

    I made this tonight and it was amazing! Thank you for sharing!

    Reply
  20. Sue says

    November 18, 2014 at 1:42 pm

    This was delicious but way too thick. Less cornstarch for sure.

    Reply
  21. Sherry says

    December 14, 2014 at 4:23 pm

    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. Jen says

    March 7, 2015 at 7:26 pm

    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. Margie says

    April 11, 2015 at 5:19 pm

    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
  24. Kristin says

    October 7, 2015 at 7:45 pm

    My family loved this! Thank you for sharing it! We used extra-sharp cheddar and some mozzarella, yum!

    Reply
  25. EmilyS says

    October 19, 2015 at 12:23 pm

    Made this tonight- huge hit with everyone – thank you!!

    Reply
  26. Leslie says

    November 29, 2015 at 6:13 pm

    New favorite recipe. Thanks!

    Reply
  27. Kathy says

    November 30, 2015 at 1:44 pm

    Can I substitute Frozen hashbrowns for the potatoes?

    Reply
  28. Amanda says

    December 31, 2015 at 2:10 pm

    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. Heather says

    January 15, 2016 at 3:37 pm

    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. MonaLisa Karm-Felty says

    December 23, 2016 at 9:27 pm

    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. Sarah says

    December 30, 2016 at 5:22 pm

    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. Mary says

    March 22, 2017 at 10:59 am

    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. Kathleen says

    December 26, 2017 at 5:02 pm

    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
  34. TEMA says

    December 15, 2018 at 1:19 pm

    Thank you for posting this lovely gf soup. I’ve been looking for a good soup and I can’t wait to try this one.

    5.0 rating

    Reply
  35. Rebecca says

    September 16, 2019 at 9:51 am

    Does the fresh corn need to be cooked prior to being put in the soup?

    Reply

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