Green Chile Hominy Casserole with Chorizo

Homesick Texan posted this recipe about six months ago, and despite the fact that I had never had hominy, it sounded pretty irresistable, baked with chorizo, sour cream, cheese, and chiles.  Always game to try something new, I put it on the menu, and added the ingredients to the grocery list.  But when I got to the store, I could not find hominy anywhere.  I wandered up and down aisles and asked employees when that failed, but no good.

But this weekend, while I was headed up the beans and rice aisle, I finally found it, hiding behind some black beans on the top shelf.  A quick search on my phone got me the rest of the ingredient list, and we were in business.  And as it turns out, we love hominy.  Where has this been all my life?  I can't wait to see what else I can do with it!

This casserole has the perfect amount of heat, balanced by the tanginess of the sour cream.  It was fantastic topped with slices of avocado and dollops of salsa.  I halved the recipe for two servings, but really wish I hadn't, so the full recipe is here.

 Green Chile Hominy Casserole with Chorizo

What's in it:

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
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
2 teaspoons lime juice
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
Salt and black pepper to taste
1 avocado, sliced and 1/2 cup salsa, for serving.

How to make it:
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 cut dice chiles.

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, chili powder, 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.

Top with avocado slices and salsa, if desired.