Casseroles make serving easy which makes life easy, but when I first hear the word images of canned cream of mushroom soup and crunchy onion inevitably come to mind (yuck!). Gladly this tasty southwestern take has neither. It is a nice flavorful meal that comes together quickly, especially if you already have some beans on hand.
Recipe:
Polenta and Red Bean Casserole
Ingredients
3/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 Anaheim chilies, diced
1/4 cup tomatillo salsa
3 large garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1 1/2 16 oz. polenta roll, cut into 28 rounds
1/2 cup whipping cream, if desired
2 cups cooked red beans, drained
2 cups corn
2 1/2 cups grated Monterey Jack or Chedder cheese
1. Oil 2 quart casserole dish. Mix 1/2 cup of the cilantro with the chilies, salsa, garlic, and cumin in a medium bowl. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
2. Arrange half of the polenta rounds in the bottom of the dish, spacing evenly. Drizzle half of the cream over it, if using. Top with half of the beans, half of the corn, and half of the salsa mixture. Then, sprinkle half of the cheese. Repeat layering one more time. Cover with aluminum foil.
3. Bake 20 minutes, then increase oven temperature to 475. Uncover casserole and bake until the top is brown, about 15 minutes. Let cool for a bit, sprinkle with remaining cilantro, and serve.
I just made this with homemade polenta. It was easy and soooo much better than the store bought. Try it out: http://www.examiner.com/article/cooking-101-how-to-make-polenta.
ReplyDeleteAs the recipe suggests, I added 2 Tbs. butter and 1/2 cup of Parmesan to mine.