Hominy Gratin

Sinkology is proud to present Emily Schuermann, our food-loving guest blogger who runs Food for a Year. Emily is here to share some recipes she has created exclusively for the Sinkology blog that reflect her view of a copper sink: simple, timeless, affordable, and beautifully rustic. 
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If you’ve been following along with me for these past few years, then you’ll know sides are my favorite part of the holiday meal. There’s something about a side dish that takes comfort food to a whole other level and this hominy gratin does just that!

What is Hominy?

Hominy is made from whole corn kernels that have been soaked in solution to soften the outer hull. Once the hull is removed, the kernel puffs and the texture becomes more tender and chewy than a typical corn kernel, similar to a cooked pinto bean.

Hominy is a hearty vegetable that can hold up to extended cooking time, making it a perfect addition to soups, stews and casseroles (like this Hominy Gratin).

Two Stars in this Dish ::

There are really two main steps to this simple side dish:

• the cheesy sauce
• the crunchy topping

The Sauce ::

For this sauce, I’ve chosen to combine two of my favorite cheeses : sharp cheddar and pepper jack. These cheeses add just the right amount of tang and spice to partner with the hominy. For some extra flavor, I’ve added one bay leaf and a teaspoon of dijon mustard.

Start by melting the butter into the flour, adding the bay leaf, dijon and salt + pepper. Once the butter melts and creates a paste, stir in milk, cream and cheeses. Continue to stir until cheese is melted. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.

Then pour the cheese (mornay) sauce over the hominy and diced peppers.

The Topping ::

The topping is the easiest step – just combine the topping ingredients

• panko
• melted butter
• salt + pepper
• 1 oz of each cheese

and sprinkle over the hominy and sauce.

Bake the hominy gratin in a 400° oven for 10 minutes and then reduce the temperature to 350° continuing to bake for 20 minutes until the top is crisp and the cheese is melted and golden.

Such a simple side, with so much flavor. That classic, sweet flavor of hominy combine with the slightly spicy cheesy sauce and topped with crisp breadcrumbs is certain to be the perfect partner to your Thanksgiving turkey!

Hominy Gratin

• 2 cans hominy, drained (I used white hominy + yellow hominy)
• 3 T red sweet pepper, finely diced 

Mornay Sauce Filling

• 3 1/2 T butter, salted
• 2 T flour
• 1 t dijon mustard
• 1/4 t sea salt
• 1/8 t black pepper
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 c whole milk
• 1/2 c heavy whipping cream
• 6 oz grated sharp cheddar, reserving 1 oz for garnish
• 2 oz grated pepper jack cheese, reserving 1 oz for garnish

Bread Crumb Topping

• 1 1/2 c panko breadcrumbs
• 1/4 t sea salt
• 1/8 t black pepper
• 2 T melted butter, salted

Preheat over to 400°. Prepare a 10″x7.5″x2″ baking dish by spraying with nonstick cooking spray. 

Place drained hominy and diced sweet peppers in the prepared dish, spreading evenly.

In a medium saucepan, combine first 6 filling ingredients, melting the butter into the flour to create a paste.

Add milk, cream and cheeses (reserving 1 oz of each to use as garnish).

Whisk to combine until cheese melts and the sauce thickens. Taste to adjust seasoning of necessary.

Pour the cheese sauce over the hominy and peppers.

In a medium bowl, combine topping ingredients. Sprinkle over the cheesy hominy, top with remaining grated cheese and place into the preheated oven.

Bake for 10 minutes at 400° and then reduce the temperature to 350°, continuing to bake for 20 minutes until topping is crisp and cheese is melted and golden on top.

Serve immediately.

Serves 10

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