Don't Throw Those Ham Bones Away!

Make a ham for the family at Thanksgiving or Christmas? Don't throw it away just yet!

Ingredients:

- 1 leftover ham bone (can also make with ham hocks)

- 3 1/2 cups water

- 2 bay leaves

- 3 pieces thick cut bacon, chopped

- 1 small onion, diced

- 1 1/2 cups celery stalk, chopped

- 1 cup chopped carrots (2 medium)

- salt and pepper

- 4 medium potatoes, diced

- 3 cloves of garlic, minced

- juice of 1/2 lemon

- 3 T. butter

- 1/4 cup white flour

- 2 cups half and half

- 1 1/4 t. salt

- 1/4 t. pepper

- 1/4 t. dried mustard

- 1/4 t. paprika

- dash of cayenne pepper

Directions:

1. Place ham bone in crockpot. Add 3 1/2 cups of water and 2 bay leaves to pot. Leave on high for 2 hours or low for 4. Remove bone from crockpot and allow to cool. Keep water in pot.

2. Heat a separate medium pot over medium heat. Add bacon. Cook bacon for 3 minutes or until cooked through. Remove bacon onto a paper towel using a slotted spoon.

3. Add diced onion, celery and carrots to bacon grease. Season with a few shakes of salt and pepper. Cook stirring occasionally over slightly lower than medium heat for 6 minutes.

4. Add diced potatoes, minced garlic, and lemon juice. Cook for an additional 3 minutes.

5. Add contents of large pot to ham juice in the crockpot. Cook on high for 2 hours or low for 4 hours.

6. In medium pot that veggies were cooked in, begin making roux. Melt 3 T. butter. Once melted add flour, and whisk to incorporate. Once mixture forms a paste, slowly add half and half, stirring quickly to remove clumps. Add parsley, salt, pepper, ground mustard, paprika, and a dash of cayenne. Bring to a boil and whisk until thick like pudding.

7. Pour roux into crockpot, cook on high 1 hour or low 2 hours.

8. While soup is cooking remove meat from ham bone, discard bone & chop up meat. Add chopped ham to soup while simmering.

9. Once ready to serve, top with shredded cheddar cheese & sour cream.