Mexican Polenta Pie

Mexican Polenta Pie (8-10 servings, Total time: 1 hour, 10 minutes)

Adapted from BHG.com

I like using polenta, and, as you can tell from my other posts, I love Mexican.  This sounded like a great opportunity to combine these two items – and it certainly was.  My only changes are that I would add some Tabasco to increase the hotness factor and make my own polenta.  NOTE – if you want a top crust to this, you can use a second tube of polenta.

Ingredients

• 1  medium onion, chopped (1/2 cup)
• 1 medium green sweet pepper, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 package Morningstar Farms Burger Crumbles
• 3 tablespoons chili powder
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• ¼ tsp. cayenne pepper
• 1 15 oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 14 ½ oz can diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1 cup bottled salsa
• 16 oz. tube refrigerated cooked polenta
• 1 cup shredded Nacho or Mexican cheese
• 2/3 cup chopped fresh tomato

Directions

1.) Preheat oven to 375 degree F.

2.) In a 12-inch skillet cook onion, sweet pepper, and garlic in 1 tablespoon hot oil until tender. Add Burger Crumbles, chili powder, cumin, and cayenne. Cook until Burger Crumbles cooked through, stirring to break apart crumbles. Add beans, canned tomatoes, and salsa. Bring to a boil; reduce heat. Simmer uncovered for 15 minutes.

3.) Meanwhile, spray a 3-quart rectangular baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Cut 1 tube of polenta into 1/2-inch cubes and press evenly into prepared baking dish. Sprinkle 1/2 cup of the cheese over polenta in dish. Top with meat mixture. Sprinkle with remaining cheese and fresh tomato. Bake, uncovered, for 35 minutes or until bubbly. Let stand 15 to 20 minutes before serving.

This is a tasty dish, like chili on top of polenta, instead of rice.  The tomatoes on the top of the casserole did not really dry out because the cheese and “meat” mixture kept them moist.  This dish has a good protein kick, is relatively low in fat, and has a lot of vegetables.  A great all-around meal that is also yummy.  My husband really enjoyed it; he is usually my measure of success with healthy dishes.