Green Chile Hominy Casserole with Chorizo
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I’m kinda sorta a chile fanatic.
It’s no secret I love Mexican and Tex-Mex food, both of which are abundant with chile peppers. I can say with a fair amount of confidence that my front gas burner has touched more poblanos than the stock guy at my local grocery store.
The Homesick Texan also has a love for chile peppers, which is probably why I’m so drawn to many of her recipes. I’ll just ignore the part about how she uses cilantro all the time. 🙂 This recipe caught my eye immediately, and I made it shortly thereafter. It’s a well-known fact that anything with chorizo is delicious. Plus, it’s a casserole. Honestly, I don’t make them very often, which is a shame, because they’re really convenient.
This recipe was a trifecta of awesome: spicy, creamy, and cheesy. In fact, the jalapeños I bought for this may have been the hottest ones I’ve ever bought. I always hear about how people burn their hands when handling jalapeños, but I’ve never had that happen, despite handling them quite frequently. This time, however, my hands were burning for like 36 hours. I was actually afraid to give my son a bath!
Besides the lethal jalapeños (which really only made this better), the only issue I had with this recipe was that it did turn out fairly greasy from the chorizo, despite my best efforts to drain all the grease off. Next time I’ll just spoon the chorizo onto some paper towels to absorb the extra grease before adding it back into the casserole (which I’ve noted in the recipe below). I did use more chorizo than the original recipe called for because it’s what I had on hand and I figured I’d bulk the servings up a bit. I also eliminated the cilantro (but topped with green onions) because I can only handle things that taste like potpourri in small doses. 😉
I really liked this dish and it made even better leftovers.
Green Chile Hominy Casserole with Chorizo
Adapted from The Homesick Texan
Serves 4-6
2 poblano chiles
1 tsp. canola oil
3/4 lb. Mexican chorizo, removed from casing and crumbled
1/2 medium yellow onion, diced
2 jalapeños, seeded and minced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 (15 oz.) cans of hominy, drained
8 ounces sour cream (light is fine)
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/4 tsp. cayenne
(1/2 cup cilantro, chopped)
2 tsp. lime juice
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
sliced green onions, optional
Place the poblano chiles directly on a gas flame or under the broiler, turning occasionally, until blackened. Put the charred chiles in a paper sack or bowl covered with plastic wrap to steam. Once cool enough to handle, rub off the skin, remove the stem and seeds, and dice the chiles.
Preheat the oven to 350.
Heat an oven-safe pan (preferably cast iron) over medium heat and add the oil. Once hot, cook the chorizo until brown, about 8-10 minutes. With a slotted spatula, remove the chorizo and place on paper towels to drain. Drain any excess grease from the skillet, leaving about 1 teaspoon. Add the onions and jalapeños to the skillet and continue cooking 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 chiles, cooked 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. Top with green onions, if desired.
How well have you fared in finding yellow hominy? I’ve only found white lately but believe the yellow has a better flavor. Anyway, this sounds good and like you I’m a sucker for peppers.
Gloria – the regular grocery store tends to only have white, but a local ethnic store near me carries both.
I don’t do Tex-Mex food frequently enough, more like once in a blue moon — but this sure looks good.
I smiled at your concern about transferring the heat of jalapenos on your hands to your baby but I guess that’s a real concern. You’re a good mommy.
all the baking & creating i do i’ve never had hominy. have i? oh i don’t know. there is no mexican anywhere near me and it makes me sad. please send. lol
My mouth is watering with all that melted cheese and the thought of chorizo. Love the combination you got going on here! maybe you should call your blog elly says chile?
How comforting Elly…and all that spicy goodness! Love the chorizo and cheese marriage!
I have had this bookmarked for a while, but I keep pushing it off my menu for some reason. You have me convinced to make it though – love the spicy, creamy, cheesy trifecta!
That casserole looks so cheesy and delicious! Yum!
Spicy and cheesy–how much better can it get? Looks delicious, Elly!
I just found this recipe the other day on Homesick Texan’s blog and couldn’t decide if I wanted to make it. Seeing it here has convinced me because you liked it, and I’ve liked everything I’ve made from your blog! (Your pumpkin granola has become a staple.) Thanks for the push in the right direction!
P.S. Just be glad you didn’t accidentally touch your eye with your pepper hands. I did that once and it was a painful lesson to learn!!
This sounds really great. I’m with you — chorizo makes everything better. Sorry to hear about the jalapeno hands, though!
Mmm, what a yummy comforting meal. I bought chorizo years ago and didn’t like it because I thought it was too greasy but I’m not sure I got the right stuff, so I need to try it again and maybe make this!
So I’m not a homesick Texan (since I live there now) but I know good Tex Mex when I see it! this looks fabulous.. My boyfriend loves chorizo so he is going to go crazy for this! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Made this last night and my husband and I both loved it!! I kept the seeds in one of the jajapenos for a little extra heat. My husband actually thought the hominy was potato. I agree that it is greasy and I even drained on a paper towel – but it is definitely good enough for a once in a while treat!!!
I made this over the weekend and it was wonderful. Thanks for the recipe.
Glad you liked it, Cassie!
I LOVE when I see people using hominy!! I’ve been eating/making a Cheese Hominy Casserole ever since I was young. It’s so underestimated…I do think the yellow hominy is tastier, and we used to be able to buy cans of it that had diced green and red bell peppers…always made the dish a little prettier! 🙂
made this for a cooking competition among friends and it won heartily. what a delicious recipe that delivers as it looks.
Glad you liked it! I love this recipe.
I’ve been scouring my favorite food blogs for recipes that can be made ahead and brought to a friend who’s recently had a baby. Would this be a good option? Maybe I could freeze it, or bring it to her unbaked, or…? Appreciate any suggestions! 😉
Thanks!
Gwen, I’m not totally sure since I haven’t tried it. The only thing that would give me pause would be the sour cream – not sure if freezing would affect the texture. I think bringing it unbaked would be fine.
Got it! Thanks. 🙂
I’ll save this one for another delicious time. 😉