Ham and Potato Chowder {Gluten-free}
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!
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! We’ve always called it Ham Cheddar Chowder.
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.
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!
If you make this soup and enjoy it, please come back and give this recipe a 5 star rating in the recipe card! Feel free to comment with tips or to share any successful substitutions you made.
Ham and Potato Chowder Recipe:
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!
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
- In a large pot, bring water, potatoes, carrots, and garlic to a boil. Stir in salt, garlic salt, and pepper.
- 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.
- Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, melt the butter, then whisk in the cornstarch.
- Add the milk to the butter/cornstarch mixture and whisk together.
- Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly.
- Add cheddar cheese cubes or shreds and stir until melted.
- 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.
Old photos of this gluten-free ham cheddar chowder from 2013:
I hope you and your family enjoy this ham potato soup as much as my family does!
This was delicious but way too thick. Less cornstarch for sure.
I made this tonight and it was amazing! Thank you for sharing!
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! 🙂
Could I make this in the crock pot? Suggestions?
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!
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!
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.
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! 🙂
The whole family enjoyed this! We doubled the recipe. Mellow flavours, yet rich. Will make again! Thank you!
Anna,
A double-batch is a good idea with this recipe! Yum! Glad your family all enjoyed it!
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!
Christine,
So glad to hear it was a hit with your family like it is with mine! Hope you can enjoy it again soon!
I just made this for the fourth time. My eldest craves it!
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!
So glad you thought it was excellent! Good to know that the rice milk worked well in it. Thanks for that tip!
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.
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!
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.
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!
It worked nicely. I cooked it slowly over 8 hours.
Made this tonight! Delish!
Have you substituted clams?
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!
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!
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!
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!!
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!
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!
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
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.
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!!
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!
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!
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.
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
Hi there,
We only drink almond milk. Could I substitute the milk for half and half (10% cream)? Thanks.
I think almond milk would work in this. Just make sure it is unsweetened, not flavored, of course!
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!
Jill,
So glad that you tried this out and liked it! Thanks so much for stopping by and leaving a comment!