This is one of my favorite in-a-pinch dishes – with the exception of the onion, all the ingredients come out of the freezer/off the pantry shelf; you can put it together in very little time and just let it cook. It goes over very well at church suppers or other potluck occasions, and I rarely come home with very much left in the pot. The flavor seems to improve with a day or 2 in the fridge, and it reheats well. Just be sure to cover it securely, as hominy tends to be explosive in the microwave!
2-3 tbsp oil
1 (2) large onions, chopped
1/2 (1) pound beef or any other fully cooked sausage, in 1/2-inch slices
2 (4) cans hominy, throughly drained (see notes)
1 (2) cans stewed tomatoes (see notes)
1 can chopped green chilis (optional)
garlic to taste (optional)
In a large heavy pan, heat oil, sauté onion until it softens; add sausage slices and continue to sauté (some browning boosts the flavor).
Stir in drained hominy. Add tomatoes, breaking up any large pieces; bring to a boil. Make sure there’s enough liquid; reduce heat and simmer for at least a half hour, stirring well every so often.
After all the ingredients are combined, you can also put it in a slow cooker and let it simmer for hours.
Season to taste with garlic, basil or any other seasonings that appeal to you.
Notes
Seasoning: This is somewhat southwestern in origin, so if you like chili, you can stir a few tbsp of chili powder in with the onions and sausage, just be careful not to scorch it.
Hominy: I always use a mixture of yellow and white hominy for the color. Hominy doesn’t have a lot of flavor on its own, but will soak up the flavor of the other ingredients.
Tomatoes: I’ve used stewed tomatoes, or the diced tomatoes with onion, green pepper and celery, or diced tomatoes with green chilis - lots of room for adding flavor here.
