Recipe Swap - A First Fav: Casserole features hominy

By: By Michael Hastings | JOURNAL FOOD EDITOR
Published: October 15, 2008

Maria Noa of Advance requested a recipe for a hominy casserole that's a favorite of President Bush and his family.

This recipe comes from Walter Schweib, the former White House chef who cooked for both the Clinton and Bush families.

Schweib tells a story on his Web site, www.theamericanchef.com, about how this casserole was on the menu for a congressional picnic on the White House grounds planned for Sept. 11, 2001.

The picnic never took place because of the terrorist attacks that day. But Schweib and his staff served this casserole and the other picnic food to the Secret Service, military and police staff members who were assigned to protect the White House.

Texas Green Chili and Hominy Casserole

Recipe from www.theamericanchef.com.

6 strips bacon cooked and chopped (should yield 1/3 cup)

1 tablespoon bacon drippings (reserved from cooking bacon)

1/3 cup diced onions

1 1/2 cups cooked canned hominy (liquid drained but reserved)

1/4 cup liquid reserved from canned hominy

1/4 cup diced poblano peppers

1 tablespoon diced pickled jalapenos

1 tablespoon juice from pickled jalapenos

1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese, divided use

1. Heat oven 325 degrees.

2. In a 2-quart saucepot over medium heat cook onions in bacon drippings until tender, 4 to 5 minutes.

3. Add hominy and the 1/4 cup hominy liquid. Simmer 2 minutes.

4. Add poblano peppers, jalapenos, jalapeño juice and 1/2 of the chopped bacon. Stir and simmer 2 to 3 minutes.

5. Add 2/3 of grated cheese. Stir well until the cheese is melted, 3 to 5 minutes.

6. Pour mixture into an ovenproof casserole dish. Top with remaining bacon and cheese. Bake uncovered until bubbling, 15 to 20 minutes.

Makes 4 servings.

Help

□ Pam Bryant would like a recipe for a sweet that she said resembles white fudge with nuts. She remembers it being called a Quick Gift for Christmas about 20 years ago in the Winston-Salem Journal. It was made with sweetened condensed milk, regular milk, butter, vanilla, sugar and cashews.

□ Jim Hullihan would like a recipe for marinated tofu, like the one served at the former California Fresh Buffet.

■ Send requests or recipes to Recipe Swap, c/o Michael Hastings, Food Editor, Winston-Salem Journal, P.O. Box 3159, Winston-Salem, NC 27102; or e-mail to mhastings@wsjournal.com. Please include name, address and a daytime telephone number. Previously published recipes are available in the Recipe Database at www.journalnow.com/swap.