Southwestern Turkey Pozole Casserole

Pozole is traditional food was likely created by the Aztecs who used it to celebrate special occasions and religious festivals. Pozole is a pre-colonial dish and it’s one of the oldest dishes in Mexico since experts have found that it became part of the Mexicas’ diet between 1325 and 1524. Pozole gets its name from the Nahuatl word for hominy, pozilli, meaning foam, the delicious kernels of Maize that are central to the dish. Pozole comes in three main varieties: Rojo, Verde and Blanco. Pozole is a thick soup chiefly of Mexico and the U.S. Southwest traditionally made with pork or chicken, hominy, garlic, and chili.  Nahuatl was the language of the Aztecs, an indigenous people of modern-day Mexico. Pozole is made with hominy, which is processed corn with the germ removed.

Hominy is a type of corn from yellow or white maize, also known as field corn. Dried hominy kernels are soaked in an alkali solution of lye or slaked lime. This process, called nixtamalization, removes the hull and germ, making the corn easier to grind and cook with. Nixtamalization also helps the kernels release more of their nutrients, including niacin (also known as vitamin B3), and makes them easier to digest, too.

Cooked hominy kernels are about three times the size of raw sweet corn kernels. They can be eaten like corn or mixed into corn-based dishes, such as succotash. Additionally, they can be used to fortify a variety of soups, stews and casseroles or to prepare starchy side dishes, such as hash. They can also be used in baking recipes such as cornbread, quick breads and muffins, or formed into flapjack-like hominy cakes.

In Hispanic countries, hominy is ground to make masa, which is then used to make corn tortillas, arepas, pupusas and other dishes found in Latin and Central American cuisine. At the grocery store, you’ll see it labelled as masa harina corn flour; this can be used to make masa cakes, tamales and corn dumplings.

I made a version of verde (green) pozole with turkey, topped with cheddar drop biscuits or dumplings. The version I made was a cross between a Southwestern tamale pie, pozole and turkey and dumplings. I served it alongside rice and beans to complete the meal. You can make this with either turkey or chicken.

Preheat the oven to 400*F or 205*C.

Spray a 9×13 baking pan with cooking spray.

The Filling

1 lb tomatillos, husks removed, diced

1 cup chicken or turkey broth

1 TBSP olive oil

2 cups onion, diced

1 TBSP garlic

1 large poblano chili seeded and diced

1 tsp cumin

salt & pepper to taste

2 15-oz cans of hominy, white, yellow or a combination of both, drained and rinsed

2 TBSP cornmeal

3-4 cups shredded turkey

1-2 tomatoes, diced

1/4 cup green onions, sliced thin

cilantro

Place the tomatillos and broth into a food processor and blend until smooth.

Get a skillet very hot, add the olive oil and saute the onions, garlic and poblano peppers for about 5 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender and the onions are translucent. 

Add the hominy and continue to cook for about 3-5 additional minutes, then add the cumin and cook for about 30 more seconds. Add the tomatillo mixture, salt and pepper and the cornmeal. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and continue to cook for about 3-5 minutes. I used a combination of both the yellow and the white hominy.

When the sauce is thickened a bit, add it all to the turkey, tomatoes, cilantro and green onions and mix together well. Then spread the mixture evenly into the prepared pan.

The Topping

1 1/4 cups flour

2/3 cup yellow cornmeal

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 cup chilled butter, cubed

1 1/4 cups buttermilk

3-4 oz shredded cheddar cheese

Combine the flour and dry ingredients together with the cubed butter. Mix together well until it all resembles a coarse sand. Add the cheddar cheese and mix together again. 

Add the buttermilk and mix just until everything is blended together. Do not over mix or the dumplings will become tough and dry. 

Once everything is blended together, spoon it evenly over the top of the casserole.

Bake for about 30 minutes or until the dumplings are lightly golden. Serve it up and desfruitas! !Esta rico!

Happy New Year everyone. I hope 2024 is a good year for all, filled with happiness, good health and prosperity. ’Til next time.