Ham and Corn Chowder Soup

The weekend my mom came up to the cabin, we had hot dogs on the grill with Chuck Wagon Beans and corn on the cob.  With several ears of corn leftover, I thought what could I make with the leftover corn. We had not had soup in a while so I thought I would make Ham and Corn Chowder.  I found this recipe on what used to be Recipezaar.com.  The website is now Food.com and is a nice improvement to an already great site.

Ham and Corn Chowder

2          celery ribs, diced

1/4       cup onions, diced

2          tablespoons margarine or butter

2          tablespoons flour

3          cups milk

2          cups cooked ham, diced

2          cups potatoes, cooked and diced small

1 1/2    cups frozen corn

1          14 3/4 ounce can cream-style corn

1/4       teaspoon dried thyme

1/4       teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/4       teaspoon salt

Directions:

1.  Boil water; meanwhile peel and dice potatoes.

2.  Boil for about 10-15 minutes (soft but not too mushy).

3.  Meanwhile, dice up ham, onion, celery.

4.  In a large saucepan, saute the onion and celery in butter until softened.

5.  Stir in the flour and stir until well blended, then gradually add milk.

6.  Bring to a boil while stirring until thickened, about 2 minutes.

7.  Stir in remaining ingredients and bring to a boil.

8.  Reduce heat, cover and simmer about 15 minutes or until heated through.