The winter time always makes me yearn for soups, but I get tired of making and eating the same ones again and again. After Christmas this year, I had some leftover ham and thought about this delicious corn chowder recipe I have. Most chowders are very thick, the true sign of a chowder and that’s great. For me, I prefer more broth. I’ve made some modifications to a hearty corn and potato soup I’ve made many times in the past so it would be simple, delicious and more soup than chowder. I hope you like it.

Ingredients

• 2-1/2 cups of diced ham
• 3 medium russet potatoes, chopped
• 2 T olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
• 2 tsp dried oregano
• 2 dashes of hot sauce
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 3 cups cream-style corn
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• 1-1/2 cup milk
• chives or green onion, chopped

Instructions

• Prepare potatoes and onions.

• In a medium stock pot, add olive oil, potatoes, oregano, and hot sauce.
• Cook over medium-low heat until onions are translucent.

  

• Pour in the chicken stock, corn and ham.
• Season with salt and pepper.
• Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and cover pot.
• Simmer 20 minutes. Stir frequently.

  

  

• When the potatoes are tender, add the cream and milk to the chowder.
• Add chives or green onion. Mix well.

  

• Serve.

Ideas

• Ham – feel free to use turkey ham, but you may need to add some additional salt.
• Milk – I prefer 2%, but you can use 1% or whole milk; Half-half is also an option, but then replace entire cream/milk quantity with it.
• Potatoes – red potatoes also work well.
• Soup versus chowder – if you want this to be thicker, replace more of the milk with heavy cream.
• Serve with bread or crackers.