There is just something so comforting about a bowl of warm soup. I love fall when it begins to get cooler and I love to make all my favorite soups. This Cheesy Ham and Vegetable Chowder is definitely a family favorite and I have been making it for years.
Cheesy Ham and Vegetable Chowder
Ingredients
5 pounds of Idaho potatoes
1 onion
1 cup chopped carrots
1 celery stalk chopped
Small head of broccoli chopped (2 cups of frozen broccoli)
1 cup frozen corn
2 gloves garlic
3 tbsp of butter
1 tbsp bacon fat (or you can use butter)
3 tbsp to 1/4 cup of flour
Chopped Ham (6 to 8 oz.)
12 oz. cubed process cheese
2 tbsp chicken base
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 tsp ground thyme
1 tsp salt
Cracked black pepper
6 to 8 cups water (enough to cover the potatoes)
Instructions
Melt butter and bacon fat in a large pot and then add carrots, celery, onion, and garlic. Sauté until the vegetables start to soften. Sprinkle in flour, enough to absorb the fat, and then add peeled and diced potatoes and cover the entire mixture with water. Add chicken base, thyme, salt, and pepper and cook until the potatoes are almost done, about 10 minutes. Then add chopped broccoli, corn, and ham and continue cooking for additional 10 minutes. Then add cheese stirring until completely melted. Add heavy cream and stir to get a creamy consistency.
For a video tutorial visit my YouTube channel.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mJsmoYYHcg8