Cozy Ham & Potato Crockpot Soup — The Best Way to Use Leftover Holiday Ham

There’s something special about the days following a holiday. The house is calmer, the kitchen smells faintly like roasted turkey and baked pies, and the fridge is stuffed with containers of leftover goodness you just can’t let go to waste. That’s exactly where this Ham & Potato Crockpot Soup comes in — the cozy, creamy, nourishing recipe that makes the most of leftover holiday ham and leftover turkey bones if you make homemade broth as I do.

Every winter, after Thanksgiving or Christmas, I make this soup at least twice. It’s the kind of recipe that feels like a warm hug after a long day: hearty, comforting, family-friendly, and incredibly easy. You toss everything in the crockpot, walk away, and come back to a house that smells like comfort itself.

If you love simple slow cooker meals, hate wasting leftovers, or crave something warm and nourishing — this recipe is going to become a yearly tradition.

Let’s dive into the magic.

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❤️ Why You’ll Love This Ham & Potato Crockpot Soup

This soup is the perfect “leftover makeover,” but there are so many more reasons to love it:

✔️ A delicious way to use leftover holiday ham

This alone is a win — you can turn that last chunk of ham into something brand new and comforting.

✔️ Hands-off cooking

Your slow cooker does all the work while you go about your day.

✔️ Creamy but not heavy

Thanks to a combination of broth, cream of chicken soup, and a splash of heavy cream at the end.

✔️ Easy to customize

Swap veggies, add cheese, make it thick or brothy — it’s hard to mess up!

✔️ Perfect for meal prep

It reheats beautifully and tastes even better the next day.

✔️ Nutritious and balanced

Loaded with veggies, protein, and broth that’s incredibly nourishing — especially if you use homemade broth.

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🍗 A Secret That Makes This Soup Extra Cozy: Homemade Turkey Broth

Before we get to the ingredients, I have to share the ingredient that takes this soup from “really good” to incredible — my homemade turkey broth.

Every year after Thanksgiving, I save the turkey carcass and all the aromatics I roasted with the turkey:

• onions
• garlic
• celery
• carrots
• herbs
• leftover drippings

I toss everything into a big pot, cover with water, bring it to a boil and then simmer it low and slow into the most flavorful, golden, mineral-rich broth. It’s soothing, savory, and adds a depth of flavor to soups that store-bought broth simply can’t match.

I use this homemade turkey broth in every soup I make in the weeks after Thanksgiving — including this Ham & Potato Crockpot Soup. It layers on that cozy holiday warmth and adds so many nutrients.

If you want to try broth-making yourself, be sure to check out:

• My Thanksgiving Turkey Recipe
• My Homemade Turkey Broth Recipe

They walk you step-by-step through the process!

Of course, if you don’t have turkey broth, regular chicken broth works beautifully. But if you have it… Use it. You’ll taste the difference.

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🥔 Ingredients for Ham & Potato Crockpot Soup

Here’s everything you’ll need for this recipe:

• 2 large potatoes, diced small (peeled or unpeeled — your choice!)
• 2 cups leftover ham, diced
• 1 cup celery, sliced
• 1 cup carrots, shredded or sliced
• 1 onion, diced
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 cup frozen corn
• 4–5 baby bella mushrooms, chopped
• 1 (10.5 oz) can cream of chicken soup
• 1 teaspoon mustard powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon parsley
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon poultry seasoning or dried sage
• 2 bay leaves
• 3–4 cups broth (I always use homemade turkey broth, but chicken broth works too!)
• 1 cup frozen peas (optional)
• ½ cup heavy cream
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (optional — stir in at the end)

This simple ingredient list turns into something magical when it slow-cooks all day.

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🥣 How to Make Ham & Potato Crockpot Soup

This recipe is one of the easiest winter meals you can make. Here’s how:

🔹 Step 1: Add everything to the crockpot

Place the potatoes, ham, celery, carrots, onion, corn, mushrooms, cream of chicken soup, seasonings, and your broth into the slow cooker.

If you’re using homemade turkey broth, this is where the magic begins — every bite will soak up that deep, roasted, savory flavor.

Give everything a quick stir.

🔹 Step 2: Add the bay leaves

These add a slow-simmered aromatic note that makes soups taste restaurant-worthy.

🔹 Step 3: Choose your cooking time

• Cook 4 hours on HIGH, or
• Cook 8 hours on LOW

Either way, cook until the potatoes are perfectly tender.

🔹 Step 4: Add cream + cheese

During the last 10–20 minutes of cooking, gently stir in:

• ½ cup heavy cream
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (optional)

Adding dairy at the end keeps the soup silky and creamy.

🔹 Step 5: Stir in peas

If using, add your peas in the last few minutes, so they stay bright and tender.

Remove bay leaves and serve warm.

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🧀 Variations & Optional Add-Ins

This recipe is flexible and forgiving — here are some fun ways to customize:

➕ Extra veggies

Try adding:

• spinach
• kale
• green beans
• diced bell peppers
• more mushrooms
• broccoli or cauliflower
• cabbage

➕ Make it thicker

Stir in one of these:

• ½ cup instant mashed potato flakes
• ¼ cup sour cream
• Mash some of the potatoes in the pot

➕ Make it lighter

Use:

• half-and-half instead of cream
• evaporated milk
• reduced-sodium broth
• less cheese or no cheese
• leave out the cream all-together

➕ Make it extra rich

Stir in:

• extra cheddar
• parmesan
• a spoonful of cream cheese

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🥗 What to Serve With Ham & Potato Soup

This soup is filling on its own, but serving it with the right side turns it into a full comfort meal.

✔️ My favorite: Sourdough rolls

My homemade sourdough rolls are perfect for dipping and go beautifully with the creamy broth. Check out my sourdough recipes on the blog!

✔️ Our family’s favorite: Colorific Salad Recipe

Think crisp, fresh, and bright:

• leafy greens
• cucumber
• shredded carrots
• tomatoes
• a light vinaigrette

✔️ Roasted vegetables

Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, carrots, or asparagus are great choices.

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❄️ How to Store, Freeze, and Reheat

This soup was made for leftovers — and it might taste even better the next day.

Refrigerate:

Store in an airtight container for 4 days.

Freeze:

For the best texture, freeze it before adding the cream and cheese.
Add dairy after thawing and reheating.

Reheat:

Warm on the stove or in the microwave, adding a splash of broth if it thickens.

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🌡️ Crockpot Tips for Success

Even though this is a foolproof recipe, here are some tips:

• Dice potatoes small so they cook evenly.
• Don’t add dairy early — it can curdle.
• Let it rest for 10 minutes before serving for the best texture.
• Taste and adjust salt after cooking; ham varies in saltiness.

Shop my favorite crockpot here. It’s aesthetically pretty and large, plus I love the locking lid for travel.

As an Amazon Associate, I may earn a small commission if you purchase from my links at no extra cost to you. Thank you for supporting my small business. Privacy policy and disclosure here.

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🌿 Why This Soup Is So Nourishing

This soup isn’t just delicious — it’s packed with nutrients:

• Potatoes → potassium + fiber
• Ham → protein
• Veggies → vitamins + antioxidants
• Broth → minerals + hydration
• Mushrooms → B-vitamins
• Herbs → natural flavor without extra calories

And if you use homemade turkey broth, you get even more benefits from:

• collagen
• amino acids
• minerals
• roasting aromatics
• deep, soothing flavor

It’s the kind of comfort food that truly feeds the body and the soul.

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🎄 A Post-Holiday Tradition Worth Keeping

Every year after Thanksgiving and Christmas, once my house is cleaned up and the holiday whirlwind settles, I look forward to making this soup. There’s something special about using what’s leftover — the ham from dinner, the turkey carcass for broth — and turning it into something new, warm, and nourishing.

It’s the kind of recipe that makes you feel connected to the season, grateful for simple pleasures, and excited for a bowl of something cozy at the end of the day.

This soup has become part of our holiday rhythm, and I hope it becomes part of yours, too.

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📝 Printable Recipe

Kelly’s Thoughts

If you’ve been searching for the perfect way to use up leftover ham, this is it. It’s comforting, economical, and unbelievably delicious. It cooks while you’re working, chasing kids, cleaning the house, or simply resting after a busy holiday season.

Make it once, and it’ll become a year-round family favorite.

If you try this recipe, let me know—share a photo, tag me, or leave a comment. And don’t forget to check out my sourdough rolls and colorific salad recipes for the perfect sides!

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