It's One of Those Things...

You either love it or you hate it. The "it" happens to be hominy. I know I've mentioned before that I grew up loving vegetables...especially the "weird" ones, and hominy seems to fall in that category. I didn't know it was so controversial until I got married, and Joel strongly indicated that I need not bother fixing it for him (I think words like "yuck" and "gross" were part of his description). So for years, I dutifully kept it off our pantry shelves. But the day came when I decided to make Ashlea and Tyler fans. I raved about the flavor, assuring them they would absolutely love it, too. I fixed it for dinner one night with bacon and seasonings, fully anticipating a favorable response once the hominy met their taste buds. Sadly, they weren't converted, and I seem to remember words like "yuck" and "gross" coming from their lips.

A couple weeks ago, the Pioneer Woman web site had a recipe for a hominy casserole, and I just knew I had to try it. One problem...I didn't want to make a whole casserole for myself. Solution...take it to our next church fellowship meal, and that's what I did today. I knew I was taking a big risk. What if I heard people mutter "yuck" and "gross" as they passed by it in the serving line? Could my ego stand that? But I knew I had at least one supporter. My friend Sue told me she likes hominy and she would be sure to eat some of my casserole. And Joel was a trooper and ate some too. He even went back for seconds, claiming he actually liked it, noting that, "If you put that much bacon, onion, and cheese in anything, it's bound to be tolerable."

So here's the recipe...for you hominy lovers. :)

8 slices bacon
1 large onion, diced
4 14 oz. cans hominy, drained
2 4 oz. cans diced green chilies
1 cup grated cheddar cheese

Fry the bacon until almost crisp; remove from skillet and remove all but a couple tablespoons bacon grease. Crumble the bacon and set aside. Add onion to skillet and cook for a couple minutes. Pour n hominy and stir until warm. Add cheese and chilies and bacon; stir until cheese melted. Remove from heat. Pour mixture into a large baking pan an sprinkle with a little more cheese and bacon, if desired. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes, or until hot. Enjoy! ;)