Cheesy Ham and Potato Soup
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 2 cups milk
- 5 tablespoons butter
- 2 cups cheddar cheese shredded
- 3 1/2 cups potatoes peeled and diced (i keep mine with the peel)
- 1/3 cup celery diced
- 1/3 cup onion finely chopped
- 1 -2 cup ham diced and cooked
- 3 1/4 cups water or 3 1/4 cups chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons chicken bouillon granules (omit if using chicken
- salt (to taste)
- 5 tablespoons flour
- Carbohydrate 55.0853907819052 g
- Cholesterol 157.407953250424 mg
- Fat 46.0276742796737 g
- Fiber 1.49402687449199 g
- Protein 35.2016910840702 g
- Saturated Fat 28.1456430508052 g
- Serving Size 1 1 (609g)
- Sodium 1368.33263457311 mg
- Sugar 53.5913639074132 g
- Trans Fat 2.84006143318882 g
- Calories 766 calories
Step-by-step
- Combine potatoes, celery, onion, ham, and water/broth in stockpot and bring to boil.
- Then cook over medium heat until potatoes are tender.
- Stir in the chicken bouillon, salt (if using), and pepper.
- In separate saucepan, melt butter over medium-low heat. Whisk in flour and cook stirring constantly until thick.
- Slowly stir in milk as not to allow lumps to form and all milk is added. Continue to stir until thick (4-5 minutes).
- Add in cheese and stir until melted.
- Stir the cheese mixture into the stockpot and cook until heated through. (I also will break up some of the potatoes for thickness. It gets thicker as it cools and next day).
While thin, broth-based potato soups rely entirely on long simmering to extract starch into the liquid, this heavier, cheddar-enriched preparation builds its body from a distinct flour-and-butter thickening foundation. Historical potato chowders historically utilized hardtack or crushed crackers, whereas modern recipes achieve identical viscosity through cooked roux and mashed starches. Mastering the texture of this dish requires careful attention to dairy stabilization and starch hydration.
- Test potato doneness by pressing a single cube against the side of the pot with a wooden spoon; it should yield instantly with no internal resistance, indicating that the cell walls have fully softened and absorbed moisture.
- Whisk cold or room-temperature milk into the hot butter and flour paste in a slow, steady stream while maintaining constant motion to prevent the formation of stubborn lumps that ruin smooth mouthfeel.
- Melt the shredded cheddar off the direct burner flame or over low heat to prevent the milk proteins from separating and turning the dairy grainy or oily.
- Substitute chicken broth with low-sodium vegetable stock if managing dietary restrictions, but reduce added salt until tasting at the final step due to the naturally high sodium content present in cured ham.
Thickening continues naturally as residual starches cool inside the pot during storage. Reheating leftovers requires low heat and occasional stirring to keep the emulsion stable without scorching the dairy solids at the bottom of the vessel.
