Corn and Potato Chowder is one of my favorite rich and creamy soup recipes. It’s easy to make and uses fresh ingredients to create a satisfying soup with a mix of tender and hearty textures. I like to make it in the fall and winter for a warm, comforting meal, but it’s great any time of the year. If you want a delicious soup that will satisfy the whole family, this should definitely be added to your list.
Jump to:
The base is made of broth and cream and is perfectly flavored with fresh veggies and garlic. The cheese, ham, and bacon add just enough salty flavor to lift the potatoes. It’s so yummy!
If you like easy creamy soup recipes, you will love my easy Panera Broccoli Cheddar Soup and this Cream of Potato and Leek Soup.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It’s a comforting meal: This corn and potato soup is the epitome of comfort food. It’s rich, cheesy, savory, and full of amazing textures creating a stick-to-your-ribs dish!
- It pairs well with various sides: From sandwiches to salads or even crackers, you can enjoy any kind of side dish with a bowl of this soup. This makes it fantastic for leftovers, too.
- It’s easy to prepare: You don’t have to be a professional to make great food—this recipe is easy to follow even for beginners.
Ingredients
These are all of the components you’ll need to make this potato corn chowder recipe. They are affordable, easy-to-find ingredients, too.
- Bacon: Grab raw bacon for this recipe because you will use the bacon fat to impart even more flavor into the base of this corn potato chowder. I chop it into pieces before I cook it for convenience and to ensure it gets perfectly crisp.
- Veggies: I add diced onions and celery to help develop more flavor in the base of the chowder. Then, I chose Russet potatoes for this because the starch in them will help with thickening. Wash, peel, and cut them into cubes to ensure they cook at the same rate. For the corn, I prefer frozen but you can use canned, too.
- Garlic: Fresh garlic cloves have a more pungent flavor and aroma than jarred minced garlic. You can use either in this recipe. If you go for jarred, use a little more than the recipe calls for.
- Flour: The starch in the potatoes acts as a thickening agent, but this corn and potato soup needs a little more help to reach the right consistency. So, I use flour and combine it with the veggies and fat to make a roux.
- Broth: I use chicken broth but you can use vegetable broth or bouillon if you prefer. The broth adds more saltiness to the potatoes to ensure they are well seasoned.
- Cream: To make a rich and creamy chowder, heavy cream is key. It adds a lusciousness without thinning it out.
- Seasonings: I use salt, pepper, Italian seasoning for an herb flavor, and dried chili flakes for a very subtle kick.
- Ham: I love the smokiness you get from the ham. It adds another layer of flavor to the soup and complements the other ingredients.
- Cheese: The shredded cheddar adds to the richness and the texture. It has a sharp flavor that lifts the other ingredients and brings everything together.
See the recipe card below for exact ingredient amounts, nutritional information, and detailed instructions.
Variations
- Sausage: Try using ground sausage instead of cubed ham for a completely different rendition.
- Loaded veggie: Add more vegetables to the soup to make it extra hearty. Peas, carrots, and broccoli are some great ideas.
- Meatless: Make a meatless version by omitting the bacon and ham. Cook the veggies in olive oil or butter instead.
How to Make Corn and Potato Chowder
Here’s how to make a delicious corn and potato chowder in just one pot! To keep things simple, chop the bacon, potatoes, and other veggies ahead of time so they're ready when you need them.
Step 1: Cook the bacon. Cook the bacon pieces in large pot over medium-high heat for 5-6 minutes or until they are nice and crispy. Remove the bacon once it’s cooked and set it aside on a paper towel-lined plate. Leave the bacon grease in the pot!
Step 2: Saute the onion, celery, and garlic. Cook the onion, celery, and minced garlic in the bacon grease for about 5 minutes until the veggies are tender.
Step 3: Stir in flour. Sprinkle in the flour and stir it so it coats the cooked vegetables.
Step 4: Add in the broth, cream, veggies, and seasonings. Pour in the chicken broth, cream, potatoes, corn, and seasonings. Stir the ingredients well and let the mixture come to a boil. Then, turn the heat down to low and simmer for about 20 minutes or until the potatoes are perfectly tender and cooked through.
Step 5: Add ham, cheese, and bacon. Add the chopped ham, shredded cheddar, and half of the cooked bacon. Allow the added ingredients to warm up and the cheese to melt over low heat.
Step 6: Serve. Sprinkle the remaining bacon on top and enjoy!
Recipe Tips
- Blend or mash some of the potatoes: For a creamier consistency, feel free to blend some of the cooked potatoes. You can even use a potato masher to break them up.
- Use corn cobs for more flavor: If you use fresh corn from the cob, save the cobs! Add the cobs to the creamy broth to infuse even more sweet corn flavor into the chowder. Remove them before serving.
- Use a heavy-bottomed pot: A large, heavy-bottomed pot will distribute the heat evenly to ensure your soup cooks properly. Dutch ovens and stainless steel pots are typically best for this recipe.
If you love recipes like this hearty chowder, you may also enjoy this Shrimp Potato Corn Chowder.
Storage Directions
- Storing: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. You can freeze leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 months, though the texture of the dairy in the soup may change slightly when thawed.
- Reheating: Reheat in a saucepan over low heat or the microwave at 50% power for 2-4 minutes, stirring halfway through.
Serving Suggestions
- Simple bread would make a fantastic accompaniment to this corn chowder with potatoes. Brazilian cheese bread bites are perfectly savory and air fryer toast works lovely in a pinch.
- You can’t go wrong with a soup and sandwich! Prepare an easy grilled cheese like this provolone grilled cheese or a loose meat sandwich for an even more filling meal.
- Want a simple veggie side dish? Try these maple bacon Brussels sprouts!
Recipe FAQs
Sure! Saute the veggies first, then add all the ingredients (minus the ham and cheese), and cook on manual pressure for 15-20 minutes. Add the ham and cheese and allow them to warm up in the hot chowder. Serve and enjoy!
Sure! Once the simple roux is made, stir in the other ingredients and cook the soup on high for 2-3 hours or on low for 4-5 hours. Add the remaining ingredients during the last 30 minutes. Make a cornstarch slurry if you need to thicken it before serving.
If the heat is too high, it will make the cream curdle. Keep an eye on the stove while potato corn soup cooks.
Easy Corn Chowder Video
More Delicious Corn Recipes
If you try this recipe and love it please leave a star rating in the recipe card below or even better, drop a review in the comment section, I always appreciate your feedback. Be sure to follow along with me on Facebook, Pinterest, and YouTube for more easy recipes!
Easy Chunky Corn Chowder
Equipment
- Large pot or Dutch oven
Ingredients
- 6 strips bacon chopped
- 1 medium onion diced
- 3 stalks celery sliced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 3 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 1 ½ cups heavy whipping cream 35% fat
- 2 cups frozen corn
- 2 cups cubed Russet potatoes about 3-4 medium sized potatoes
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon dried chili flakes
- 1 pound smoked or cooked ham 16oz or 454g, cubed
- 1 ½ cups cheddar cheese shredded, 4.8oz, 135g
Instructions
- Add the chopped bacon to a large pot and cook over medium high heat. Cook for about 5-6 minutes or until the bacon is crispy. Use a slotted spoon to remove the cooked bacon to a paper towel but leave the bacon grease in the pot. Set aside the bacon for use later
- Add the onion, celery and garlic and cook in the bacon fat over medium high heat for about 5 minutes or until the vegetables are tender.
- Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and stir until they are thinly coated.
- Add the chicken broth, cream, corn, potatoes, salt, pepper, Italian seasoning and chili flakes. Stir until combined and continue heating over medium-high until the soup comes to a rolling boil. Once it boils, reduce the burner to low heat and allow it to simmer for about 20 minutes or until the potatoes are cooked through. Stir every 4-5 minutes
- Add the cooked ham, cheddar cheese and half of the bacon. Reserve the remaining half of the bacon for garnish. Stir and heat over low until the cheese is melted and the ham and bacon are heated through.
- Serve immediately and garnish with remaining half of the bacon.
Notes
- Store leftover corn and powder chowder in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Try making this savory soup recipe in your Instant Pot or slow cooker instead of on the stovetop.
- Ensure that you use a large, heavy-bottomed pot to make this chowder. This allows the heat to distribute better for even cooking and no hot spots.
Nutrition
This post was originally published in April 2018. It has been updated with new images, content and an updated recipe.
Leave a Reply