Kaitlin
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.
