Green Chile Hominy Casserole with Chorizo

Have I mentioned my deep love for cast iron skillets? Up until just a couple of years ago, I'd never used one except while camping. Jason decided we needed one in the kitchen so he bought one and I was soon in love. So much so, that I asked him to climb into the attic and pull our "camping skillets" out so I'd have 3 in the kitchen to use at a time. Now if a recipe can be made in a castiron skillet, I'm immediately drawn to it.

When I originally checked out The Homesick Texan, I didn't even click on this recipe. But, a friend made it and highly recommended we try it so when I saw it took hominy (love!) and a cast iron skillet, I was in.

There is good reason for why it was highly recommended. It's highly delicious.

You could make this into a one pot meal and call it a day. Or, you could serve it as a side dish with some basic grilled meat. It's quite versatile.

If you've never really cared for hominy before, you should try it in this dish before writing it completely off. It soaks up the flavors in the dish and adds a great texture. If you're not a fan of chorizo, you could sub in another kind of sausage - or leave it out all together.

I highly suggest you make this sometime. Soon.

Green Chile Hominy Casserole with Chorizo
2 poblano chiles
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1/2 pound Mexican chorizo, removed from casing and crumbled
1/2 medium yellow onion, diced
2 jalapeños, seeds and stems removed, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 15-ounce cans of hominy, drained
8 ounces sour cream
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
2 teaspoons lime juice
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
Salt and black pepper to taste

Roast the poblano chiles under the broiler until blackened, about 5 minutes per side. Place chiles in a paper sack or plastic food-storage bag, close it tight and let the chile steam for 20 minutes. Take the chile out of the bag and rub off the skin. Remove stem and seeds and dice.

Preheat the oven to 350.

On medium-low heat, heat the vegetable oil and then cook the crumbled chorizo while occasionally stirring in a 10-inch cast-iron skillet until brown, about 8-10 minutes. With a slotted spatula, remove the chorizo and drain any excess grease from the skillet, leaving 1 teaspoon. Add to the skillet the diced onions and jalapeños while occasionally stirring, cook on medium-low heat until onions are translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 30 more seconds.

Remove the skillet from the heat and add the diced poblano chile, chorizo, hominy, sour cream, cumin, cayenne, cilantro, lime juice and half of the cheddar cheese. Stir until well combined, taste and add salt and black pepper and adjust seasonings. Top with remaining the cheddar cheese and bake uncovered for 30 minutes or until brown and bubbling.