Spicy Posole with Cheesy Jalapeño Cornbread Muffins

October 14, 2016

Spicy Posole in a bowl with a spoon and Cheesy Jalapeño Cornbread Muffins.

Please tell me you do this, too?

Crumble your cornbread muffins and drop them into your chili like perfectly dense and sweet little soft croutons?

Glad we’re on the same page with that.

So, October. We’re sitting MID-October, guys, and life is October-y. Which is to say, mostly, awesome. Rich fall colors, crunchy leaves everywhere, cozy sweaters for chilly days, pumpkin themed drinks available but not totally overwhelming us all the time… yeah, this is the best season ever.

But also – I don’t know if it’s just me – but October feels like the hamster wheel of life is really kicking into gear. Evening classes and commitments start back up, pre-holiday plans start to take shape, conferences and travel dates draw closer, and school schedules get more jam-packed with conferences, plays, and projects. (For the record, I am acting like I am involved in a school schedule in some way, shape, or form – but please, friends. I am zero percent involved in school schedules. This October pace is just deeply ingrained in me from my 5 years of teaching and I feel like I will be vicariously living a teachers’ schedule forever.)

Spicy Posole with Cheesy Jalapeño Cornbread Muffins.

All of this means that October is the prime-time to really get intentional about meal planning. Those lunches, man! They sneak up every time. One second it seems like we have a full fridge, and the next I am hangry x10 with my only lunch option being peanut butter toast. AGAIN.

So here’s one of my favorites for meal prep lunching.

Spicy P-O-S-O-L-E, with some easy cornbread muffins to round it out into a filling meal.

Posole Tips

Tip #1: This is not a true, authentic posole recipe. This is a meal prep posole recipe whose ingredients you can memorize and pick up without needing to look anything up online. Canned fire roasted tomatoes, ground pork sausage or similar, hominy, black beans, and all your fixings. Which brings me to Tip #2.

Tip #2: Chips of all shapes and sizes and flavors are a must in this situation. Yes, you have your cornbread muffin and it’s cheesy and spicy and delicious. But without a tiny bit of crunch in there? What is even the point.

Tip #3: Cheese and sour cream really help the spicy posole situation cool down a bit. I used Sargento shredded 4-cheese Mexican blend in my muffins which basically took them to the NEXT LEVEL of golden cornbread muffin perfection, but I also add a tiny bit of extra cheese and sour cream to the posole itself. That subtle creamy touch? Yes, please.

Spicy Posole with cheese topping and with Cheesy Jalapeño Cornbread Muffins.

Tip #4: Make this on Sunday. Or early in the week. It’s going to give you a solid 6 servings – as well as a muffin or two per serving – and it stores in the fridge amazingly well and maybe even tastes better the next day. Would that be such a crime?

You guys, Bjork adores this soup, which is so cute to me. I made this all the time when we first got married because it was so easy, and I was so proud of this recipe. I’d make it for family and friends and for chilly nights at home.

But here’s the thing – even with its humble simplicity, it is absolutely AS GOOD as I remember it being when I was an less discerning first-time cook. It’s simple, it’s straightforward, it’s adaptable, and it’s your happy lunches for the week. Love u, meal planning!

Spicy Posole in a bowl with a spoon and with Cheesy Jalapeño Cornbread Muffins.

Spicy Posole with Cheesy Jalapeño Cornbread Muffins

5 from 10 reviews

Author: Pinch of Yum
Total Time: 30 minutes
Yield: 6

Print Recipe

Description

Spicy Posole with Cheesy Jalapeño Cornbread Muffins – One of my favorites for meal prep lunching. Posole plus some cornbread? YUM.

Ingredients

Spicy Posole:

1 lb. ground pork sausage (or other meat, or try this veg version)
a pinch of taco seasoning, chili powder, cumin, salt, etc.
2 14-ounce cans fire roasted tomatoes with garlic, undrained
1 14-ounce can crushed tomatoes
2 14-ounce cans white hominy, drained
1 14-ounce can black beans
toppings: cilantro, cheese, sour cream, tortilla chips

Cheesy Jalapeno Cornbread Muffins:

1 box cornbread mix (any kind works, or make them from scratch)
1 jalapeno, ribs and seeds removed, minced
1/2 cup Sargento shredded 4-cheese Mexican cheese blend

Instructions

Brown the sausage in a large pot over medium high heat. Season with taco seasoning or other spices and salt. Drain over a bowl to remove excess grease.
Return sausage to pan and add tomatoes, hominy, and beans.
Refill two 14-ounce cans with water and add it to the pot.
Simmer for 15-20 minutes.
For the muffins, mix according to package directions and stir in the jalapeño and cheese. Bake according to package directions.
Serve soup with toppings and cornbread muffins.

Prep Time: 10 mins
Cook Time: 20 mins
Category: Dinner
Cuisine: Mexican