Cheesy Ham and Potato Soup

Is it strange to be more excited about the recipes you can make with holiday leftovers than you are about the holiday meal itself?

Not when Cheesy Ham and Potato Soup is what you’re dreaming of!

I created this luscious, cheesy soup recipe to use up leftover Christmas ham and mashed potatoes, but holy buckets I will not be waiting for another holiday to make it again. I gave my Mom a bowl of it to take home after watching the boys for a bit earlier this week and got a text two minutes after she got home saying “soup is sooooo good!!”

Cheesy Ham and Potato Soup is truly a cinch to stir together, and made even easier if you have leftover ham and mashed potatoes on hand. Vegetables are sauteed in butter then simmered with a combination of milk and chicken broth, thickened with prepared mashed potatoes, then jazzed up with freshly shredded sharp cheddar cheese and cubed ham.

If you like cheesy soups, this one is going to be your jam. It’s decadent, thick, and creamy, and the ham bobbing in each spoonful is such a treat. Trust me and steer hungry Uncle Jim away from taking thirds of ham and mashed potatoes at the holiday dinner table this year – you’ve got soup to make!

How to Make This Recipe

Start by adding chopped carrots, celery, shallot or onion, and dried thyme to melted butter in a large soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Season with salt and pepper then saute until the vegetables are softened 8-10 minutes. Add minced garlic then saute for 30 seconds.

Next, sprinkle in gluten free flour (or all-purpose flour if you don’t need to eat GF,) then stir to combine and cook for 1 minute. Add splashes of chicken broth and milk while stirring to create a smooth sauce then turn the heat up to medium-high to bring the soup up to a bubble. Then turn the heat back down to medium then simmer until the soup is slightly thickened, 3-4 minutes.

Next add prepared mashed potatoes (made from 3 large russet potatoes,) then whisk vigorously until smooth. Note that these prepared mashed potatoes already have butter, milk, and salt mixed in – vs being plain cooked potatoes that have been mashed.

Last step is to pull the soup off the heat then sprinkle in freshly shredded sharp cheddar cheese a little bit at a time, stirring until the cheese is completely melted before adding more. Finally add cubed ham then stir to combine.

FYI – if you’re going the ham steak route you’ll want a 1-1/2 – 2lb ham steak.

Let the soup sit off the heat for 10 minutes to thicken, taste and add more salt and pepper if necessary, then ladle into bowls. I’m telling you – there is nothing better than this decadent, thick and cheesy soup. Enjoy, enjoy!

Cheesy Ham and Potato Soup

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gluten free30 minute meal

5/5 (6 REVIEWS)

Description

Cheesy Ham and Potato Soup is a thick and hearty soup recipe that's perfect for cold nights. Use leftover ham and mashed potatoes to make this simple soup even easier to whip up!

Ingredients

serves 6

• 4 Tablespoons butter
• 2 large carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
• 1 stalk celery, thinly sliced
• 1 large shallot or small onion, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• salt and pepper
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 Tablespoons gluten-free flour
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 2 cups milk (I used skim)
• 3 cups prepared mashed potatoes (from 3 large Russet potatoes)
• 8oz freshly shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 2-1/2 cups cubed ham steak

Directions

1. Melt butter in a large soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add carrots, celery, shallot, and dried thyme. Season with salt and pepper then saute until vegetables are tender, 8-10 minutes (place a lid on top to help speed up softening if vegetables are taking too long.) Add garlic then saute for 30 more seconds.
2. Sprinkle in flour then saute for 1 minute. Slowly pour in chicken broth while whisking to create a smooth sauce. Add milk then turn heat up to medium-high and bring soup to a simmer, stirring frequently. Turn heat down to medium then cook, stirring frequently, until soup is slightly thickened, 3-4 minutes. Add half the mashed potatoes then whisk until smooth. Add remaining mashed potatoes then whisk until smooth.
3. Remove pot from heat then stir in small handfuls of cheese one at a time, stirring until completely melted before adding more. Stir in ham then taste soup and add salt and pepper if necessary (remember ham will add a bit of salt to each bite of soup.) Let sit and thicken off the heat for 10 minutes then serve.

This recipe is courtesy of Iowa Girl Eats, http://iowagirleats.com.