Roasted Yellow Pepper Grits

When Kyle said the word “grits,” visions of paste-like globs in a bowls at Bob Evans instantly came to mind. Unappetizing to say the least. But I’m a believer in grits after having spoonful after spoonful of this amazing dish. Kyle served it as a side to a Chilean sea bass entree, but we think it would be really tasty with a steak too.

Recipe adapted from Bobby Flay’s recipe.

Ingredients:
• 3 large yellow peppers
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 large Spanish onion, finely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon chipotle puree
• 2 (16 ounce) cans hominy, drained
• 1 cup heavy cream
• ½ cup grated sharp white cheddar cheese

What to note before tackling the recipe:
• For best results, use a sharp white cheddar. Otherwise the flavor won’t come through as well.
• Hominy is normally found in the canned food aisle, but don’t expect to find it at higher-end grocery stores.

Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees

Rub the 3 yellow peppers with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and place on a baking sheet. Roast in the oven until soft and skin is blackened. Place the peppers in a medium bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let sit for 15 minutes. Remove the skin and seeds.

While the yellow peppers are roasting, start on your prep work for the remainder of the dish. Dice the onion, 3 cloves of garlic and grate the cheese. Put the hominy in a food processor and process until smooth.

Create the chipotle puree by emptying a can of chipotles packed in adobo sauce into the blender and blending until it is pureed.

Once the peppers have cooled for 15 minutes and the skin and seeds are removed, place 2 peppers in the food processor and process until smooth. Dice the remaining pepper and set aside.

Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil and butter in a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions, season with salt and pepper and cook until soft. Add the garlic and cook for an additional 2 minutes. Add the hominy, yellow pepper puree and heavy cream. Season with salt, pepper and chipotle puree. Cook for 10 minutes and fold in the diced yellow peppers and cheddar.