Baked Feta And Tomato Polenta Make Ahead Casserole Food

BAKED POLENTA WITH FRESH TOMATOES AND PARMESAN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). Grease an 8x8 inch baking dish.
• Place the water, milk, and butter in a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the polenta and stir with a wooden spoon until thickened, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in 1 cup Parmesan cheese and 2 chopped basil leaves; season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer the polenta to the prepared baking dish and arrange the remaining chilled pieces of butter over the top.
• Bake the polenta in the preheated oven until bubbly and beginning to brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from the oven.
• Decoratively arrange the slices of tomato over the top of the polenta, spread the remaining basil leaves over the tomatoes, and sprinkle with 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese.
• Return to the oven and bake until the tomatoes are warm and the Parmesan cheese is bubbly, 5 to 10 minutes.

CHEESY POLENTA CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly oil a 8x8-inch casserole dish with cooking spray and set aside.
• Heat olive oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir in green pepper, garlic, and green onions; cook until the pepper softens, about 3 minutes. Pour in marinara sauce and simmer 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Mix together fontina and provolone in a bowl. Spread a thin layer of sauce over the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Arrange 1/3 of the polenta slices in the dish, top with 1/3 the fontina and provolone mixture. Spread a thin layer of sauce over cheese. Repeat layers twice. Top casserole with Parmesan cheese.
• Bake in preheated oven until cheese is bubbly and golden brown, about 25 minutes.

BAKED FETA AND TOMATO POLENTA (MAKE AHEAD CASSEROLE)

Steps:

• For filling, heat oil in a medium-size skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and onion and saute until soft and golden, about 10 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, season with pepper, and cook until the juices thicken and are almost evaporated, about 10 minutes. Stir in the basil, and remove from heat.
• For polenta, preheat the oven to 400 degrees (if making right away). Grease a 2-to 2 1/2 quart shallow baking dish.
• Bring vegetable broth to a boil in a medium saucepan over high heat. Place the cornmeal in a large bowl and whisk in the cold water. (For lump-free polenta) Continue to whisk while pouring it into the boiling broth. Bring to a boil, whisking almost constantly. Once the polenta begins to boil, reduce heat to medium. Whisk polenta continuously until it begins to tear away from the sides of the pan, about 5 minutes. Whisk in salt, 1/4 cup of parmesan cheese, and mozzarella cheese.
• Immediately pour half of polenta into baking dish. Quickly spread on the tomato mixture. Crumble the feta evenly over the tomato mixture. Immediately spoon on the remaining polenta, covering entire surface. Sprinkle the top with 2 tablespoons parmesan cheese. Dot with butter bits.
• Let the polenta rest at least 15 minutes, or up to 24 hours. If longer than one hour, cover and refrigerate. Bring to room temperature before baking. Bake 25 minutes, or until hot and bubbly and golden on top. Let polenta sit 10 minutes or so before serving.

BAKED FETA MASHED POTATOES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Grease a 9-by-13-by-2-inch (3.75-quart) casserole dish with butter.
• Put the potatoes in the prepared casserole dish, add the half-and-half and stir to combine. Spread the potatoes in an even layer and place the block of feta in the center, on top of the potatoes. Season with 1 tablespoon salt and a few grinds of pepper and dot the butter over the potatoes. Cover the casserole with aluminum foil and bake until the half-and-half is simmering, the cheese is bubbling and the potatoes are cooked through and very tender when pierced with a small sharp knife, about 1 hour and 20 minutes.
• Remove and reserve the aluminum foil. Use a potato masher to mash the ingredients in the casserole dish until well combined, smooth and fluffy. Fold in the sour cream and season with salt and pepper. Cover the mashed potatoes with the reserved foil and return to the oven until warmed through, about 10 minutes. Top with the chopped chives and a few grinds of pepper.

BETTER THAN TRENDY BAKED TOMATO AND FETA PASTA

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Lightly grease a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with some cooking spray, then set aside.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, garlic, salt and pepper. Add the tomatoes and peppers and toss to coat.
• Add the tortellini and chicken stock to the baking dish. Place the feta on top of the tortellini. Add the cherry tomatoes and peppers, along with any liquid in the bowl.
• Bake until the tomatoes and peppers are soft and starting to brown, about 35 minutes.
• Top with torn basil leaves and serve warm.

BAKED FETA PASTA

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Toss the cherry tomatoes and olive oil with 1/4 teaspoon of salt and several grinds of black pepper in a medium bowl until combined. Transfer to a 2 1/2- to 3-quart baking dish, place the feta in the center of the tomatoes and season with a pinch of black pepper. Bake until the tomatoes have burst and the feta has softened, about 30 minutes. Raise the heat to 450 degrees F and continue to cook until the tomatoes and feta are golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes more.
• Meanwhile, bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until al dente, about 13 minutes. Reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking water, then thoroughly drain the pasta.
• As soon as the tomatoes and feta come out of the oven, stir in the garlic and red pepper flakes (if using). Use the back of a spoon to smash the tomatoes and feta into a smooth and creamy sauce (it's okay if some of the oil isn't fully integrated). Add the pasta and half the basil and toss until evenly coated. If the sauce is too thick, stir in some pasta water a couple tablespoons at a time. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper. Serve topped with the remaining basil and a pinch of sea salt.

SAUSAGE AND POLENTA-- A LAYERED BAKED CASSEROLE--

Steps:

• in large skillet brown sausage and break into small pieces with onion,fennel, garlic, oregano, and pepper. Drain.
• add tomatoes and sauce. simmer, uncovered 10-15 minutes.
• in microwave safe bowl add polenta, chicken broth, and butter. cover with saran wrap and microwave on high for 12 minutes. Stir every 3 minutes.
• remove, stir in salt and pepper to taste. place in sprayed casserole.
• top w/ meat mixture and the feta.
• make the polenta recipe again.
• place polenta on top of meat mixture and top w/ parmesan and parsley.
• loosly cover with foil. bake at 375 for 45 minutes until lightly browned and hot :O).

ITALIAN POLENTA CASSEROLE

Steps:

• In 5- to 6-quart Dutch oven, cook sausage and ground beef on medium-high 5 to 6 minutes or until browned, stirring and breaking up meat with side of spoon. With slotted spoon, transfer meat mixture to medium bowl.
• To same Dutch oven, add onion; cook on medium 8 to 10 minutes or until tender. Stir in garlic; cook 30 seconds. Add tomatoes with their puree; heat to boiling on high, breaking up tomatoes with side of spoon. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, 10 minutes. Add eggplant and meat; cover and cook 5 minutes on medium. Uncover and cook 10 minutes longer or until eggplant is tender, stirring occasionally.
• Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400 degrees F. In microwave-safe 4-quart bowl, with wire whisk, combine water, broth, cornmeal, and salt. Microwave on High 15 to 20 minutes or until cornmeal mixture is very thick. After first 5 minutes of cooking, whisk vigorously until smooth (mixture will be lumpy at first); whisk 2 more times during remaining cooking time. Remove from microwave, whisk in Romano.
• Spoon 2 cups hot polenta into each of two 1 1/2-quart shallow casseroles. Spread polenta over bottom and up sides of casseroles. Spoon filling over polenta. Spread remaining polenta around casserole edge to form a rim. Sprinkle with a couple tablespoons additional grated Romano, Parmesan, or Asiago.
• Bake one casserole 30 minutes or until hot. Let stand 10 minutes for easier serving. (Freeze the other one for later.).
• Makes 8 servings (in 2 casserole dishes).
• Note: if you want to lower the fat content, use turkey Italian sausage. Make sure to use quality sausage - I've used my favorite, our freshly made Merguez, and good sausage really makes a difference.

BAKED FETA SPREAD WITH SUN-DRIED TOMATOES

Steps:

• Combine feta cheese, olive oil, sun-dried tomatoes (plus some of the oil), garlic, lemon juice, pepper, red pepper flakes, and salt in a large resealable plastic bag and allow to marinate for 1 hour at room temperature.
• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
• Transfer ingredients to a small oven-proof stone dish or ramekin.
• Bake in the preheated oven until spread bubbles and is slightly browned, about 15 minutes. Serve immediately.

VEGETARIAN POLENTA CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Cover medium casserole dish with thin layer of cooking spray, set aside.
• Cover bottom of a 2 quart sauce pan, with a thin layer of cooking spray.
• Heat pan to medium heat.
• Sweat the chopped onions in pan.
• Combine garlic,red pepper, shredded cabbage, and spices in pan and cook for about 5 minutes or until soft.
• Add beans, tomato sauce and water.
• Let the mixture absorb the water then add the Veggie Ground Round.
• Pour mixture into ceramic casserole dish, set aside.
• In a one qt sauce pan heat 2 cups of water to boiling Add polenta, stir constantly with a whisk until the mixture begins to thicken.
• When it is thick but still spreadable, immediately take off heat and pour over contents in casserole dish.
• This happens very quickly.
• Spread mixture into corners to cover casserole ideally about a 1/2 inch thick.
• Garnish with Parmesan Cheese.
• Cover dish and bake for 25 minutes in 350degree F.
• Remove cover and bake an additional 5 minutes at 400 degrees F.

BAKED FETA PASTA

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
• Combine cherry tomatoes, bell pepper, onion, olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, lemon zest, red pepper flakes, black pepper, Italian seasoning, basil, and sea salt in a 13x9-inch baking dish.
• Make room in the middle of the pan and add block of feta cheese. Flip in oil, making sure cheese remains intact and becomes well coated.
• Bake in the preheated oven until the cherry tomatoes begin to blister and split, 40 to 45 minutes.
• Meanwhile, bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add penne and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender yet firm to the bite, about 11 minutes. Drain and reserve about 1 cup of the pasta water.
• Remove feta-tomato mixture from the oven. Mash garlic, tomatoes, onions, and peppers with a heavy spoon and mix with the feta cheese, creating a sauce. Stir in spinach and cooked pasta. The spinach will get cooked from the heat of the pasta sauce and pasta. Add pasta water, a little at a time if needed, to reach desired consistency. Mix well and serve.

GREAT APPETIZER: OVEN BAKED FETA WITH TOMATOES & PEPPERS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425˚F.
• Slice the pearl tomatoes horizontally (each one in four pieces) and place on paper towels to drain. (If you are using one large tomato, cut the end pieces and slice the rest in six slices). After 3-4 minutes, turn them over and place on new paper towels. Cut the pepper into four rings and set aside.
• Oil well a small, shallow ceramic baking dish (or four individual ceramic ramekins) and place half of the tomato slices at the bottom. Sprinkle with some sea salt and crushed pepper flakes. Top with half the bell pepper slices.
• Arrange the two Feta pieces on top of the tomato/pepper layer, place the remaining tomato slices on top of each piece of cheese, and place the rest of the bell pepper rings on the tomato. Drizzle liberally with the extra virgin olive oil, sprinkle with oregano and some more pepper flakes, and transfer to the middle of the oven.
• Bake for about 25 minutes, or until the feta turns a light-golden color and the oil is sizzling. If you want to deepen the color, you can place the dish under the broiler for 1-2 minutes at the end of the cooking time.
• Brush some olive oil on the slices of good, multigrain bread, and grill on both sides. Serve the baked feta immediately with some warm grilled bread.

GARLIC TOMATO POLENTA CAKES

Steps:

• Sprinkle the tomato slices with salt and place between a layer of paper towels to extract excess moisture.
• In a saucepan, sauté the garlic in the butter, until soft.
• Add water, bring to a boil and slowly pour in dry polenta, a dash of salt, and cook, stirring often with a wooden spoon.
• After about 15 minutes, when it's nice and thick, pour the polenta onto a pan lined with parchment paper.
• Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.
• Spread evenly, arrange tomatoes on top, brush lightly with olive oil and season with cracked black pepper.
• Place in the oven for 10 minutes to intensify the tomato flavor.
• Remove to cool until lukewarm.
• Cut out round discs (using the top of a glass) or squares (with a knife), just larger than the food you are topping the polenta with.
• Can be served warm or cold (I prefer warm).