Poltergeist Green Chile Posole (IN A CROCK POT)

Hello readers! I hope you're having as phenomenal a day as I am! Why is it so excellent you may ask? Well, today is my 1 year anniversary at my company! I brought doughnuts to share with a select 12 people, my lovely bosses took me out to lunch at Beasley's Chicken and Honey (look for a review coming your way soon!) and I will maybe possibly be featured in a Travel Channel episode of Food Paradise! On top of all this greatness, I got flowers delivered to me today as a thank you from a client for working overtime. What a day!


Anyway, last night after a particularly difficult cycling and core sesh (by the way, I'm getting abs for the first time in my life thanks to these bi-weekly sessions), Nate and I rushed home to devour dinner before heading off for a night of trivia (we didn't actually go to trivia, but that was the plan). Have I praised the Crock Pot enough lately? No, I haven't. THE CONVIENENCE PEOPLE! Buy yourselves one, heck, buy yourselves a fleet of them! I came home, stirred the stew and BAM! Dinner in less time than it takes to say "gee my abs and hips hurt from cycling." Wanna know my secrets? I'll tell you! But first - a brief lesson in posole because I'm sure few people out of the Southwestern part of the United States have any idea what it is.


Posole is a delicious New Mexican stew made with hominy, garlic, pork or chicken and green or red chile. It's perfect for chilly fall nights, hearty holiday dinners or curing any sort of ailment.*


*These claims have not been evaluated by the Food & Drug Administration.


Poltergeist Green Chile Posole (In a Crock Pot)

2 10 oz cans hominy, drained
1 garlic clove, minced (or a few dashes of garlic powder if you're lazy)
1 C roasted and chopped Hatch green chile
1 1/2 C shredded cheddar cheese
1 1/2 C vegetable stock
1/4 C water
1/2 C sour cream


In a 6 qt greased Crock Pot, stir together hominy, garlic, chile, and cheese. I did this the night before I wanted to cook so I stuck my crock in the fridge overnight.


When you're ready to turn your Crock Pot on, stir in the vegetable stock and cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 2-3 hours. If you are not of the vegetarian persuasion, you can also add in 2 whole chicken breasts. The low and slow method is great for making sure your hominy obtain the perfect chewy texture, and if you're a meat-eater, will make sure the chicken gets the perfect juicy and fall-apart consistency.


10 minutes before serving, add in the remaining 1/4 C of water and sour cream.


I served our posole with tortilla chips but fresh flour tortillas are the more traditional accompaniment. This recipe yielded about 4 2-cup servings of hearty stew. I had one bowl and was stuffed! This stew is perfect for chilly fall nights to be spent in your cozy pajamas watching scary movies with your significant other...or your cat. Totally up to you, I won't judge.


Stay tuned for a restaurant review and a casserole recipe! Happy eating!