Creamy Ham and Potato Soup -- When the Leftovers Are Almost as Good as Christmas Itself

Christmas is over and I'm lying on the couch in a food coma that's lasted approximately thirty-six hours. Christmas morning was everything it always is: Dad made his Christmas breakfast casserole (sausage, eggs, cheese, bread, baked overnight — the recipe hasn't changed in twenty years and never will), Mom had coffee ready at 0700, and we opened presents in the living room in our pajamas like we've done every year in every house. Presents were modest. Military family Christmas is not Lexus-with-a-bow Christmas. It's practical and thoughtful and exactly enough. Dad got Mom a new set of wooden cooking spoons — good ones, handmade, from a shop in Williamsburg — and she held them like they were jewelry. Mom got Dad a subscription to a gardening magazine and a new pair of work gloves, and he put the gloves on immediately and wore them for the rest of the morning, which was unnecessary and adorable. Megan got me a gift card to Target ('For school stuff or whatever,' she said, which is Megan's version of 'I didn't know what to get you'). I got Megan a scented candle that costs more than I should have spent but that smelled like expensive Arlington apartments, which I thought was funny and she thought was 'really nice, Rachel, thank you,' which means she missed the joke entirely. Dad's garage project was revealed: a spice rack. He built Mom a wall-mounted spice rack from reclaimed wood, with twenty-four slots, each one sanded and measured to hold her spice jars. He installed it on Christmas Eve while she was at church. When she came home and saw it, she stood in the kitchen and touched each slot and said, 'Kevin,' in that voice. Just his name. Just once. That was enough. The Christmas dinner was ham — Mom's glazed ham with brown sugar, mustard, and cloves, scored in diamonds and baked until the glaze was caramelized and shiny. Sides: scalloped potatoes (thinly sliced, layered with cream and gruyère and thyme), roasted green beans with almonds, cranberry salad, and the rolls that Mom makes from scratch for Christmas even though Thanksgiving gets the tube rolls because 'Christmas is the A-list holiday.' I ate until I physically couldn't, which is the correct amount to eat at Christmas. Then we watched a movie — White Christmas, the one with Bing Crosby, which Mom insists on every year — and Dad fell asleep in his chair with a paper crown from a Christmas cracker on his head, and it was perfect. New Year's is next week. I don't have resolutions yet. I have leftovers and a spice rack and a family that communicates through food and hand-built furniture and I'm not sure I need anything else. The ham will last until Wednesday. The memories will last longer.

Wednesday came, right on schedule, and so did the end of the ham — but I wasn’t ready to let go of that Christmas feeling just yet. There’s something about turning leftovers into a whole new meal that feels like the holiday extending itself on purpose, one more day of warmth before real life comes back. This creamy ham and potato soup is what I made with the last of it: a little of Mom’s scalloped-potato spirit, a little of the comfort of eating until you can’t, and proof that the best part of a good Christmas dinner is sometimes the soup it becomes four days later.

Creamy Ham and Potato Soup

Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 35 minutes | Total Time: 50 minutes | Servings: 6

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 stalks celery, sliced
• 2 medium carrots, peeled and diced
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 cups whole milk
• 1 1/2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch cubes
• 2 cups cooked ham, diced (leftover glazed ham works beautifully)
• 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
• Salt and black pepper, to taste
• Sour cream, sliced green onions, and extra shredded cheddar, for serving

Instructions

1. Saute the aromatics. Melt butter in a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, and carrots and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 to 6 minutes until softened. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute more until fragrant.
2. Build the base. Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and stir to coat evenly. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes to eliminate the raw flour taste.
3. Add liquids and potatoes. Slowly pour in the chicken broth while stirring to prevent lumps. Add the milk, diced potatoes, smoked paprika, and thyme. Stir to combine and bring to a gentle boil.
4. Simmer until tender. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered for 15 to 18 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are fork-tender.
5. Add ham and cheese. Stir in the diced ham and shredded cheddar. Cook over low heat for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring, until the cheese is fully melted and the soup is heated through. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
6. Serve. Ladle into bowls and top with a dollop of sour cream, a handful of shredded cheddar, and sliced green onions. Serve with crusty bread or dinner rolls.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 390 | Protein: 22g | Fat: 18g | Carbs: 34g | Fiber: 3g | Sodium: 820mg