Gluten Free Ham & Corn Chowder

OK so today I made the most amazing soup.  Since my kids all actually ate it, I feel like I'm required to write down the recipe.  Usually, I deem a recipe a success if at least 1/2 of the family liked it...but when everyone liked it, it's HUGE!  :o)  Unfortunately, I didn't think to take a photo earlier....I'm not used to the idea that I have a blog yet...  So not the best pic but trust me when I say it was delicious!

I've never made chowder before so I looked at a few different recipes and then came up with my own.  Did I mention this recipe is Gluten Free!?  Always a bonus in my house, as my oldest child has Celiac Disease.

Here's how I made it:
       Ham Stock
I started by making my own Ham Stock.  I had a ham bone left over from a meal we had last week.  I just put it in the freezer until I needed it.  I made it by filling my stock pot halfway with cold water and adding in the frozen ham bone.  I put the burner on low and just let it go.  Once the bone was thawed through I turned the temp up, added a half of an onion, a carrot, and 2 stalks of celery.  Then I just let it simmer for about 3 hours.

After that I just just strained the stock and chilled it in a container.  When it was cool, the fat forms a layer on top...I skimmed off the fat, and set it aside.

      Ingredients for Ham & Corn Chowder
1/2 lg sweet onion diced
2 celery stalks, diced
3 lg carrots, peeled & diced
2 lg. Yukon gold potatoes, diced
2 cups of prepared ham stock
4 cups of 2% milk
1 tsp. dried Italian seasoning
1/2 cup hot water w/ 2 tbsp of corn starch whisked in
1/2 bag frozen sweet corn
1/2 c. frozen peas
2 cups diced left over ham
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Salt & Pepper to taste

First, saute onion & celery in 2 tablespoons of oil for about 5 minutes, season with salt & pepper.  Add carrots, potatoes, Italian seasoning, ham & ham stock.  Bring to a boil, then add the water & corn starch mixture stirring the whole time to prevent lumps.
Next I added the milk and brought the chowder to a simmer with the cover on for about 20 minutes.  (Or until potatoes and carrots are tender.)  At this point I tested the soup for seasoning.  My ham stock was plenty salty, so my soup did not need any additional salt.  I did add a little shake of pepper though.
Next I added the corn & peas and just brought the soup back up to a simmer.  At the last moment I added the shredded cheese and just stirred until it was all melted and incorporated.

I served this up with freshly baked bread.  It was awesome.  (For my son, I simply toasted up his favorite Gluten Free Bread and added some spray butter.)

Hope you try it an enjoy it!  :o)