Crock Pot Corn Chowder

So, I signed up for the Crockin' Girls weekly e-newsletter.  It was alright but about two weeks ago - I think they made a great change.  Instead of just one video instruction recipe, they are now sending out a weekly meal plan for your crock pot.  So if I am not crazy about the recipe they are highlighting, I have 4 more recipes to choose from.  The pizza recipe came from that weekly meal plan and so does this corn chowder.

Corn Chowder

from the Crockin' Girls

Ingredients:

4 potatoes (peeled and diced)
1 Can of cream corn
1 Can of whole kernel corn
2 Cups of chicken broth
8 Ounces of diced ham
1 Cups of diced onions
1/4 Cups of butter
2 Cups of half and half

Steps:

1.  Place potatoes, both cans of corn, chicken broth, ham, and onions into the slow cooker.  Remember to strain the water/juice from the whole kernel corn before placing in slowcooker.
2.  Cook on low for 7-8 hours.
3.  Mash the mixture to your desired consistency and then add the butter and half and half.
4.  Cook for an additional 30 minutes on high, and you are set!

The Final Product:

For some reason, I don't think I can take a great picture of food while it is in my crockpot.  Looks aren't everything.  This was really good - unfortunately, I forgot to strain the water from the whole kernel corn.  BUT, I did throw in an extra potato so it wasn't soo watery.  I do have a couple of notes of improvement for next time I make it because lets be honest this is going to be a great cold weather meal.
First, brown the diced ham in the insert on the stove.  This will let out the saltiness of the ham and keep the ham pieces crunchy.
Second, I would probably use a total of 6 medium potatoes.  So when it comes to the mashing step, the soup will definitely be nice and thick.
Third, during step 3 I would consider adding some cheddar cheese and pepper.  I feel like the soup needed a little kick.
All in all, this is a keeper recipe.  I even planned ahead and chopped my potatoes and onion (I purchased the ham already diced) the night before.  It made the dump ingredients in the cooker really quick the following morning.  I guess all that really matters is that JT gobbled this soup up.  His approval is all I really need.