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!
So good! I made it in a Ninja foodi pressure cooker that I received for Christmas. Works great and didn’t make to many dishes to clean up. I did add celery and poblano peppers to the soup.
Am I to drain the potatoes, carrots and garlic? Or adding the cheese mixture in with the water the potatoes and carrots are cooked in?
No don’t drain. That becomes part of the broth. The cheese mixture just gets added right in and they mix together! Enjoy!
Does the fresh corn need to be cooked prior to being put in the soup?
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.
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.
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!!
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!
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!
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.
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!
Can I substitute Frozen hashbrowns for the potatoes?
New favorite recipe. Thanks!
Made this tonight- huge hit with everyone – thank you!!
My family loved this! Thank you for sharing it! We used extra-sharp cheddar and some mozzarella, yum!
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!
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!
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!