I made this recipe with the addition of Parmesan cheese, some in the polenta itself and some on top of the final layer, but I felt it would be just as good without it and then could be a great non diary side dish for a meat meal. It is a bit of work, but can be made ahead and adjusted to suit anyones needs. If you are making dairy and really love cheese you can top the dish with any kind of cheese you like.
Layered Polenta Casserole
Servings
8 Servings
Ingredients
- 6 cup water broth or part milk works too
- 2 cup polenta cornmeal
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic crushed
- 1 can 15 oz. cannelini beans, drained and rinsed
- 5 whole sun-dried tomatoes chopped
- 1 cup water or broth
- 1/2 bunch kale chopped
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 large onion chopped
- 2 portobello mushrooms cut into cubes
- 1/4 cup tomato paste
- Parmesan cheese optional
Instructions
- If making your own polenta, prepare that first so that it will set. You can do this the day before.
- Pour the water into a large saucepan; once boiling add about 1 teaspoon salt and stir in the cornmeal and whisk it until it dissolves. Over medium-high heat, cook the cornmeal, whisking constantly until the polenta thickens and begins to leave the sides of the pan and forms a loose ball. Taste and adjust the salt as needed.
- Scoop the polenta out onto a lightly oiled large cutting board or baking sheet and spread it evenly. Allow it to cool. It is best to refrigerate the polenta for an hour before slicing it or make it ahead and hold it covered overnight in the refrigerator.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees; with rack in upper third.
- In a medium saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add the garlic, and cook, stirring, until fragrant about 2 minutes. Add beans, sun dried tomatoes and about 1 cup of water or broth. Cook, stirring occasionally, until everything is hot and flavors meld, about 20 minutes. Add kale, mix in well and turn off heat.
- Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon oil and onions and mushrooms. Saute until cooked well, add salt and pepper to taste.
- Place a layer of polenta on the bottom of a greased 9×13 inch casserole. Cut it out from what you made or overlap circles from the store bought kind. Spread the bean kale mixture over top evenly. Place another layer of polenta and then spread over the mushrooms. Top with a final layer of polenta. Brush over tomato paste and if going dairy Parmesan cheese and bake in oven for 20-30 minutes.
I made the layered polenta casserole. The layers slipped apart when I cut and served. I added 2TBS. butter and parm cheese to the polenta; I think mashing the beans and topping the bean layer and the mushroom layer with cheese would make it more manageable for serving. For the parve version, I would just add and mix all ingredients into the polenta and serve soft and hot.