Pioneer Woman's Hominy Casserole

We tried this dish last weekend after watching an episode of Pioneer Woman. I have never made anything with hominy before let alone eaten it. Savannah even liked it which surprised me because it is full of onions (my favorite) and red bell pepper. I think I'll keep this one. I liked it too since it resembled mac and cheese without the mac which will be a good alternative side dish.

Butter, for greasing the pan (although I am not sure this needed in looking at the rest of the ingredients)
8 slices bacon, chopped (Next time I think I will use center cut bacon. Mine had too much fat for my taste and for me a little bit of bacon goes a long way.)
1 onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
One 30-ounce can hominy, drained and rinsed
3/4 cup half-and-half
Hot sauce, to taste
1/2 cup grated Cheddar
1/2 cup grated Monterey Jack cheese
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup breadcrumbs

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Butter an 8- or 9-inch square baking pan.
In a large skillet, fry the bacon over medium-high heat until crispy, 5 to 7 minutes.
Remove and drain on paper towels.
In the bacon fat, cook the onion and pepper until just starting to brown, 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in the hominy, half-and-half and hot sauce.
When the mixture is bubbling, turn off the heat and stir in the bacon and some of the Cheddar and Monterey Jack, reserving some of the cheese for later. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt, pepper and more hot sauce if needed.
Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and top with the remaining cheese and the breadcrumbs. Bake until the top is golden brown and the casserole is bubbling, about 20 minutes. Let rest for 15 minutes before serving.
Yield 4 to 6 servings.
Recipe https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ree-drummond/hominy-casserole-3199310
and photo courtesy of