Farmhouse Ham Chowder

We had this last night. I know, I know...chowder in July? Well, yes. We had ham from Kathy at the farm, and, not coincendentally, this was the next recipe in the queue. This was so delicious. Even Steve liked it, and he doesn't even really like ham. So you know it was a good recipe. Plus, I felt very domestic while I was like chopping 3 different vegetables, etc, to put in it. It's from S&D mar/apr 2008...we had it with Easy Cheddar Biscuits, which I posted earlier this year (Sept 2007), and it was a very good match.

Farmhouse Ham Chowder
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 cup finely chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped sweet red pepper
2 tbsp butter
1/4 cup flour
1 envelope ranch salad dressing mix
4 1/4 cups milk
2 cups frozen cubed hash brown potatoes, thawed
2 cups frozen corn, thawed
2 cups cubed cooked ham
1/4 tsp dried thyme (remember that thyme?)
2 oz smoked gouda cheese, shredded (nope too expensive, so I left it out...it's just garnish anyway)

In a lg saucepan, saute the onion, celery, and red pepper in butter until vegetables are crisp-tender. Stir in flour and dressing mix until smooth; gradually stir in the milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Add the potatoes, corn, ham, and thyme. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, for 8-10 minutes or until heated through. Sprinkle with the cheese before serving. 8 servings (2 quarts)

So...me and Steve were like lapping our bowls. Steve had seconds. But strangely, Sam and Emma were not that excited about it (okay, it's not at all strange for Emma...but for Sam it is). This was really so so yummy. We are definitely making this one again.