Vegetarian Polenta Casserole Food

ITALIAN POLENTA CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 1 1/2-quart casserole dish.
• Combine cherry tomatoes, basil, garlic, red wine, and 1/8 teaspoon salt for marinara in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse a few times to puree. Set aside.
• Bring water and 1/2 teaspoon salt to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Whisk in polenta slowly, whisking constantly to ensure there are no lumps. Bring back to a boil; reduce heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in Pecorino Romano cheese and butter.
• Pour half of the polenta into the prepared casserole dish. Top with half of the sliced zucchini, overlapping slices slightly. Top zucchini with half of the marinara sauce, then sprinkle with half of the Italian-style cheese. Repeat layers one more time. Cover.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. Uncover and continue to bake until cheese on top is slightly brown, about 10 minutes more. Remove from the oven and let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

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.

VEGAN CHILI CASSEROLE WITH POLENTA TOPPING

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine the kidney beans, beef-style crumbles, corn kernels, diced tomato, tomato sauce, chili powder, cayenne pepper, 1 teaspoons of the salt, the onion powder, and cumin. Spread the mixture into a 9-inch by 13-inch baking dish. Set aside.
• To create the polenta, in small saucepan, combine the water, cornmeal, margarine, and the remaining 1 teaspoons of salt and allow to stand for 10 minutes. Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat, stirring constantly. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, stirring frequently, for 12 to 15 minutes or until a spoon leaves a line when drawn through the mixture. Pour the polenta over the mixture in the baking dish and spread it to the edges. Allow it to cool and firm up for 15 minutes.
• Sprinkle the paprika over the polenta then bake at 375°F for 20 to 25 minutes or until the polenta is golden on top.

EASY ITALIAN POLENTA CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Sausage and Vegetables -- In a large saute pan, add the sausage and brown until cooked through. I like to use bulk sausage but you can used links and just remove the casing. Just brown and then move to a plate with a paper towel on it to drain. In the pan dripping from the sausage, saute all the vegetables and garlic. If necessary you can add a little extra olive oil, but you shouldn't need to. Once the vegetables are tender, but not overdone -- add the tomatoes, breaking them up as you add them, tomato paste and vegetable broth. Add the herbs and any salt and pepper needed. Add the sausage back in and let simmer 5-10 minutes.
• Polenta -- Slice the polenta in thin slices. Most grocery stores carried the prepared polenta in tubes which is a great time saver. They have plain, herb, cheese many flavors. I love to use parmesan for this but it is not necessary. There are enough other flavors in this dish. You will need around 18 slices for this dish. Now in a small square casserole dish 9x9x2 or you can use something similar in size, build the casserole.
• Combine -- Add some of your meat and vegetable sauce, then add the layers of the polenta, you can over lap them, then the cheese. Another layer of the sauce, the polenta rounds and cheese. Finish with sauce and cheese.
• Bake -- I like to let it set at room temp until the polenta soaks up some of the sauce about 1 hour, then bake covered at 350 for about 30 minutes until bubbly and the cheese is melted.

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.