Hambone Corn Chowder

Every time we make an on sale ham we challenge ourselves to stretch it out and only use ingredients available in the pantry. In the spirit of not wasting anything, the ham bone and all those little pieces that are hard to use, are made into a homemade corn chowder that is perfect for cold mornings.  This is one of the recipes in Bob Johnson’s new cookbook, The Left Over Ranch Cookbook: Memories on a Plate in the Hamamania chapter.

Bob Johnson

Hambone Corn Chowder

Don't throw away that ham bone! This smoky, hearty corn chowder turns leftover ham and pantry staples into a rich, satisfying meal the whole family will love. It freezes well too.

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 2 hours hrs 15 minutes mins

Total Time 2 hours hrs 35 minutes mins

Servings: 6

Course: Soup

Cuisine: American

Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• 1 ham bone
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium onion chopped
• 1 shallot chopped
• 2 large Yukon Gold potatoes peeled and chopped
• 2 carrots chopped
• 2-3 celery stalks chopped
• 1 jalapeño chopped
• ½ red bell pepper chopped
• Kernels from 1 ear of grilled corn or 1 can drained
• 1 leek white part only, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves minced
• 1 tbsp fresh parsley chopped
• ½ cup heavy cream or half-and-half
• ½ cup Sherry or Marsala wine
• 1 tsp Tabasco Chipotle hot sauce
• 2 cans creamed corn
• 1 sprig fresh thyme
• 2 sage leaves chopped
• 1 cup cooked ham chopped

Equipment

• 1 Dutch Oven

Method

 

1. Sauté the vegetables. In a Dutch oven, melt butter with olive oil over medium heat. Add onion, shallot, potatoes, carrots, celery, jalapeño, and red pepper. Cook until softened, about 8-10 minutes. Add corn kernels, leek, and garlic and cook 1-2 minutes more.
2. Deglaze with sherry or Marsala. Add the sherry or Marsala and cook for about 5 minutes to cook off the alcohol, scraping up any bits from the bottom of the pot.
3. Simmer the bone. Add the vegetable broth and ham bone. Add bay leaves, then enough water to bring the liquid halfway up the bone. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 1 hour until very fragrant. Remove and discard the ham bone and bay leaves.
4. Finish the chowder. Add parsley, cream, hot sauce, creamed corn, thyme sprig, and sage. Simmer on low heat for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Remove the thyme sprig.
5. Add the ham and serve. Stir in the chopped ham and cook for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and serve. Leftovers can be portioned into freezer containers and frozen for later.
Don't rush the sherry step, the alcohol needs to fully cook off or it can taste sharp.

Notes

This recipe is a great way to use every last bit of a holiday or sale ham — the bone makes a rich, smoky broth that you simply can't get any other way. Don't skip the sherry; it adds a subtle depth that makes the whole pot taste like it cooked all day. For a thicker chowder, mash a few of the potato pieces against the side of the pot before adding the cream.

This recipe appears in the Hamamania chapter of The Left Over Ranch Cookbook.

Corn Chowder and Sourdough Finished

Hambone Corn Chowder

Hambone Corn Chowder Ingredients

Find this recipe in the Left Over Ranch Cookbook, available at multiple retailers including Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Walmart, World of Books and direct from the Publisher IngramSpark.