Instant Pot Ham Potato and Corn Chowder – an absolutely delicious soup that is loaded with sweet corn, salty chunks of ham, tons of potatoes and uses your leftover ham bone from the holidays! Topped with cooked bacon, freshly shredded cheddar cheese, and freshly chopped thyme.
Made in approximately 40-45 minutes and perfect for leftovers during this chilly season.
Crock Pot and stove top directions provided below!
LEFTOVER SOUP
If you cooked a bone-in ham for the holiday – don’t throw the ham bone away! Use it in this recipe!
This recipe is so simple to make, full of flavor and vegetables, and best of all – it uses both leftover holiday ham and the ham bone! If you’re looking to utilize that ham bone, then you will love this recipe! It comes together all in the Instant Pot (or one pot) in 40-45 minutes or less!
Do you need a ham bone to make this recipe?
Absolutely not! The ham bone simply adds a ton more flavor as this soup cooks. You can also use any cooked ham, whether store-bought or leftover.
If you tried and loved my Easy Instant Pot Chicken Taco Soup, then you will be head over heels in love with this soup! It’s just as easy to make and guaranteed to become a family favorite.
INGREDIENTS NEEDED
- Cooked ham and ham bone
- Butter
- Vegetables – yellow onion, sweet corn, and russet potatoes
- Herbs – thyme, rosemary, and bay leaves
- All-purpose flour
- Half and half, milk or coconut cream (your choice)
- Unsalted chicken stock
- Minced garlic
- Water
HOW TO MAKE THIS SOUP
Full recipe for Instant Pot below in the recipe card. 🙂
You don’t need an Instant Pot to make this soup. You can make it in one pot on the stove or toss it into your crock pot to cook for the day!
STOVE TOP/ONE POT:
– Place a large stock pot or soup pot over medium-high heat with butter. Once the butter has melted, add the ham bone.
– Sear the ham bone on each side, approximately 2 minutes.
– Add the onion and cook until it has become translucent and then the garlic to cook for 30 seconds.
– Pour in the water or chicken stock. Season with salt and pepper (see notes about salt), add the bay leaves, thyme, and rosemary. Bring to a boil and lower the heat to a medium-low. Cover and allow to simmer for 30 minutes.
– Remove ham bone and discard.
– Add the chopped ham and potatoes. Stir well and cook until the potatoes have softened, approximately 15+ minutes. Add corn to warm.
– Pour the half and half into the soup.
– To a glass measuring cup, combine the cornstarch and water. Add to the soup, stirring gently as you add. Allow to simmer 2-3 minutes (or more) until the soup has thickened.
– Season and garnish with bacon, thyme, and shredded cheddar cheese.
CROCK POT:
– To the crock pot add: melted butter, diced onion, corn, potatoes, ham bone, diced ham, minced garlic, chicken stock, and seasonings.
– Cook on HIGH for 3-4 hours or LOW for 6-8 hours.
– When the potatoes are fork-tender (about 45-60 minutes before the end of the scheduled cook time), remove ham bone.
– Stir in the half and half. Whisk together the cornstarch and water and add to the soup.
– Cook on HIGH and allow to thicken. Add corn, stir to incorporate and warm.
– Season and garnish with bacon, thyme, and shredded cheddar cheese.
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TOOLS USED TO MAKE THIS SOUP:
- Instant Pot Duo 7-in-1 Multi-Use Programmable Pressure Cooker -this is the exact Instant Pot that I have and I love it. Although it is currently just me and my husband, we enjoy the extra space this pot provides so that we have leftovers for lunches or meal prepping!
- Jenaluca Herb Scissors – I will never use a knife to chopped herbs again! These scissors make chopping herbs so much easier and quicker! Easy to use and easy to clean as well.
- OXO Good Grips 2 Piece Cutting Board Set – I have an obsession with the OXO brand and for good reason – they make great products!
MORE INSTANT POT RECIPES TO TRY:
- Easy Tender Instant Pot Turkey Breast – Learn how to make a turkey breast in the Instant Pot in around an hour! WITH GRAVY! If you’re looking to cut back on the time and hassle of preparing a delicious and tender turkey breast this holiday season – then look no further! No getting up at the crack of dawn.
- Super Tender Instant Pot Pot Roast – the best pot roast ever! The entire meal cooks directly in the Instant Pot (or Crock Pot), is very simple to make, and is full of flavor. The beef is so juicy and tender, it practically falls apart coming out of the pot!
- Easy Instant Pot Chicken Taco Soup – SUPER popular recipe on the blog! For good reason – its amazing! A simple, delicious, and healthy recipe that is perfect for these cold, rainy fall or winter days. This recipe takes a little prep and is only cooked in the Instant Pot (or Crock Pot), making for easy clean up.
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Instant Pot Ham Potato and Corn Chowder
Ingredients:
- 2 1/2 tbsp light butter
- 1 small yellow onion
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 ham bone, (or sub ham hocks)
- 2 tsp fresh thyme leaves
- 1/2 tsp dried rosemary
- salt and pepper
- 2 bay leaves
- 4 cups unsalted chicken stock, (or low-sodium *SEE NOTES BELOW)
- 1 cup half and half, (or sub milk or coconut cream)
- 2 lbs russet potatoes, (peeled and diced small)
- 1 1/2 cups cooked ham, (cubed)
- 1 cup frozen corn
- 1/4 cup cornstarch + 1/4 cup water, (whisked together)
Garnishments:
- 6 slices no sugar added, uncured bacon, (cooked and chopped)
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- freshly chopped thyme
Instructions:
- Set the Instant Pot to “Sauté” and add the butter to melt. Once melted, add the ham bone. Sear the ham bone on each side, approximately 1-2 minutes.
- Add the onion and sauté until translucent. Add the minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
- Season with thyme, rosemary, and add the bay leaves. Stir and cancel the sauté function on the pot.
- Add the chicken stock, potatoes, and cooked ham to the pot. Season with the salt and pepper. Close and lock the lid, move the valve to “Sealing” and cook on high pressure for 10 minutes.
- At the end of the cook cycle, do a controlled quick release to remove any remaining steam/pressure in the pot. Remove the ham bone and turn the pot to the sauté setting.
- Pour in the half and half. To a glass measuring cup, combine the water and cornstarch. Mix well. Stir the cornstarch mixture into the soup. Stir frequently until the soup has thickened and reached a creamy consistency.
- Add in the corn, stir to incorporate and warm through 1-2 minutes.
- Season with salt and pepper, if needed. Garnish with cooked bacon, shredded cheddar cheese and freshly chopped thyme.
Notes:
OTHER COOKING METHODS:
STOVE TOP/ONE POT:
- Place a large stock pot or soup pot over medium-high heat with butter. Once the butter has melted, add the ham bone.- Sear the ham bone on each side, approximately 2 minutes.
- Add the onion and cook until it has become translucent and then the garlic to cook for 30 seconds.
- Pour in the water or chicken stock. Season with salt and pepper (see notes about salt), add the bay leaves, thyme, and rosemary. Bring to a boil and lower the heat to a medium-low. Cover and allow to simmer for 30 minutes.
- Remove ham bone and discard.
- Add the chopped ham and potatoes. Stir well and cook until the potatoes have softened, approximately 15+ minutes. Add corn to warm.
- Pour the half and half into the soup.
- To a glass measuring cup, combine the cornstarch and water. Add to the soup, stirring gently as you add. Allow to simmer 2-3 minutes (or more) until the soup has thickened.
- Season and garnish with bacon, thyme, and shredded cheddar cheese.
CROCK POT:
- To the crock pot add: melted butter, diced onion, corn, potatoes, ham bone, diced ham, minced garlic, chicken stock, and seasonings.- Cook on HIGH for 3-4 hours or LOW for 6-8 hours.
- When the potatoes are fork-tender (about 45-60 minutes before the end of the scheduled cook time), remove ham bone.
- Stir in the half and half. Whisk together the cornstarch and water and add to the soup.
- Cook on HIGH and allow to thicken.
- Season and garnish with bacon, thyme, and shredded cheddar cheese.
Loved this recipe!
Second time making it this week; this second time I made it for my in-laws and they liked it too!
I had leftover farmers sausage so I added that instead of ham.
I also added a can of creamed corn which I found added good sweetness and flavour.
Thank you for sharing this recipe!
I love your idea for adding creamed corn! I am definitely going to have to try that sometime! Thank you for sharing that idea! Happy that you and your family enjoyed the recipe. Means a lot!