For the Stove Top

Melt the butter and bacon grease in a heavy soup pot. I love my Lodge Cast Iron Dutch Oven. It is a 6 quart and is plenty big. Once the fat has melted, add salt, pepper and red pepper flakes and stir. Sprinkle in flour to make a paste or slurry. Cook at medium to high for about 1 minute to remove the flour taste.


Add in sweet potatoes and stir to coat with the roux mixture. Heat through and slowly add in vegetable broth. Whisk until it almost is as thick as you want it. Add in ham and heat through as it thickens. At the very end, right when it is almost as thick as you desire, add in the cheese and a splash of half and half.


Lower heat to simmer until cheese is melted and serve!


For the Pressure Cooker

Using the Saute function, melt the butter and bacon grease in the inner pot of the ECP. Once the fat has melted, add salt, pepper and red pepper flakes and stir. Sprinkle in flour to make a paste or slurry. Continue to cook for about 1 minute to remove the flour taste.

Add in sweet potatoes and stir to coat with the roux mixture. Heat through and slowly add in vegetable broth. Whisk until it almost is as thick as you want it. Add in ham and stir to coat. Close the lid, seal the vent and set to manual or pressure cook for 5 minutes. Once cook time is done, allow pressure to naturally release. Open vent to release any remaining pressure and carefully open lid. Add in the cheese and a splash of half and half.

Set to saute again until cheese is melted and serve!