HEARTY POTATO, HAM AND CHEESE CHOWDER

facebook share image   twitter share image   pinterest share image   E-Mail share image



Hearty potato, ham and cheese chowder image

We all hated potato soup, until I came up with this combination. It is a hearty meal on a cold winters day. Extra ham and bacon, make it even more filling. It is a large batch, but freezes well. I sometimes bake the potatoes the night before, to save time.

Provided by Always in the kitch

Categories     Chowders

Time 1h20m

Yield 8-10 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 11

8 large baked potatoes
12 ounces mild shredded cheddar cheese
3/4 cup chopped celery
3/4 cup chopped onion
10 tablespoons margarine or 10 tablespoons butter, divided
6 ounces flour
8 cups milk
2 cups cubed cooked ham
4 chicken bouillon cubes
black pepper
crumbled cooked bacon (optional)

Steps:

  • Bake potatoes until done.
  • Cool.
  • Peel.
  • Cut four potatoes into small cubes.
  • Mash the remaining four with a fork.
  • Set aside.
  • Using a large soup pot, saute onion and celery in the 4 tablespoons of margarine or butter.
  • Cook until celery is tender.
  • Remove vegetables from pan.
  • Place remaining 6 tablespoons of butter or margarine in pan.
  • Add flour.
  • Mix over low heat for 3 to 4 minutes.
  • Gradually add milk, stirring constantly to blend with flour mixture.
  • Add bouillon cubes and black pepper to taste.
  • Readd celery and onions to pot.
  • Add mashed potatoes.
  • Cook until heated through.
  • Add ham, and cubed potatoes.
  • Cook over medium low heat 15 minutes, stirring often.
  • Add cheese and bacon, if using, and cook until cheese is melted through.
  • Add more milk if soup is too thick.

There are no comments yet!