Polenta Vegetable Bake Recipes

RATATOUILLE POLENTA BAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375°F. Spray 12-inch nonstick skillet with cooking spray; heat over medium-high heat. Cook onion and bell pepper in skillet 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in eggplant, zucchini, salt and pepper. Cook 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender. Stir in tomatoes, breaking up with spoon; reduce heat to low. Cook 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Spray rectangular baking dish, 11x7x1 1/2 inches, with cooking spray. Cut polenta into 1/4-inch slices. Arrange slices on bottom of dish, overlapping and cutting to fit where necessary. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Spoon vegetable mixture evenly over top.
• Cover and bake 30 minutes. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese and parsley. Bake uncovered about 15 minutes or until cheese is melted and casserole is bubbly. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

ROASTED POLENTA WITH GARDEN VEGETABLES

Steps:

• Make the Polenta: Bring the chicken stock, butter, pepper, and salt to a boil in a heavy-bottomed pot. While whisking the hot stock in a quick circular motion, "rain" in the polenta by letting it stream through your fingers. (This will prevent lumping.)
• Reduce the polenta to a gentle simmer; it must be stirred constantly for 25 to 35 minutes to prevent lumps or scorching. Be very careful when stirring, the mixture is very hot (think lava) and can burn you if it boils and sputters. If it begins to boil cover the pot and reduce the heat until boiling stops!
• The polenta is cooked when it is no longer grainy and has become creamy. (My grandmother says good polenta takes 30 minutes, great polenta takes 1 hour).
• Stir in the Parmesan and basil and pour onto a buttered sheet pan to cool. When cool, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate. Cut the polenta into any shape you desire that's structurally sound. In other words, a shape that won't fall apart on the grill easily, or be difficult to remove from the sheet pan after roasting. Squares, triangles, stars etc.
• Make the Marinade and Vegetables: Whisk together the vinegar and garlic. While whisking, drizzle in the oil to make a smooth dressing. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Toss the vegetables with the marinade.
• When ready to serve, preheat an outdoor grill or indoor grill pan.
• Brush the polenta lightly on both sides with olive oil and grill, turning once, until the edges are brown and crispy.
• At the same time grill the vegetables until they are tender but still firm.
• Pile the vegetables on top of the polenta, then stand back and wait for the applause!

POLENTA AND VEGETABLE CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly oil a 9x13 inch baking dish.
• Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Cook and stir onion, green pepper, eggplant, and mushrooms in oil until soft. Mix in fajita seasoning.
• Line prepared baking dish with slices of polenta. Spread beans and corn evenly over the polenta, and then spread onion mixture over the beans. Top with salsa, mozzarella cheese and black olives.
• Bake until heated through, about 20 minutes.

ROASTED ROOT VEGETABLES WITH POLENTA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a sheet pan or a baking dish with parchment or foil. Toss vegetables with the olive oil and salt and pepper to taste. Add fresh herbs if using. Spread vegetables in an even layer.
• Combine polenta, water, and salt in a 2-quart baking dish and stir together. Place polenta and vegetables in the oven. If you can't fit both pans on the same (middle) rack, place vegetables on a lower rack. Roast vegetables for 30 to 40 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes or until soft and beginning to caramelize. Remove from the oven.
• If serving this with marinara sauce, make the sauce while the vegetables and polenta are in the oven.
• Continue to bake the polenta until it has been in the oven for 40 to 45 minutes and has absorbed the water. Remove from oven and stir in butter. Use a fork or a spatula to stir the polenta well, and return to oven for 5 to 10 more minutes. Remove from oven and stir again. Carefully taste a little bit of the polenta; if it is not completely soft, return to the oven for 5 to 10 more minutes.
• Remove polenta from oven and stir in 1/3 cup grated Parmesan, if using. Immediately spoon polenta onto plates and make a depression in the middle. Ladle on some marinara sauce and top with a generous spoonful of roasted vegetables. Sprinkle on remaining Parmesan and serve.

ITALIAN SUMMER SQUASH POLENTA BAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Saute carrots, zucchini, squash, onion and bell pepper in a large saucepan with a small amount of olive oil. Season with garlic salt and pepper. Saute vegetables for approximately 5 minutes and pour in spaghetti sauce. Stir, cover and simmer until vegetables are slightly tender.
• Slice polenta into 1/2 inch circles and season with garlic salt and pepper. Heat enough oil in a medium skillet so as to completely cover the entire bottom of the pan. Pan fry seasoned polenta in hot oil, about 3 minutes per side. Remove from oil and layer the slices in a large casserole dish. Spoon the vegetable mixture over the polenta and then sprinkle with Mozzarella and Parmesan cheese.
• Bake casserole for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes before serving.

ROASTED GARLIC POLENTA CAKES

Steps:

• Line a casserole dish with plastic wrap and set aside.
• 2. Preheat a large heavy bottom pot on medium-low heat. Add the butter, onion and garlic and sauté until nicely browned, stirring occasionally.
• Once brown, add the milk and water and turn the heat up to bring to a boil. Keep a close eye on the pot as milk loves to boil over and make a huge mess.
• Just as the milk reaches a boil, reduce heat to medium-low again and using a whisk, slowly stir in the corn meal. Make sure the corn meal is evenly distributed and there is no clumping.
• Season with salt, cumin and paprika and then cook for about 15 minutes. Make sure to give a good stir with a wooden spoon every 5 minutes or so and check that its not burning on the bottom.
• Once the polenta is soft and cooked, its time to stir in the parmesan cheese. Go with fresh grated Parmesano Reggiano if you can.
• Now pour the warm polenta into the plastic lined casserole dish and spread out and compact in an even layer with a wet spatula (so it does not stick) and place in the fridge to cool.
• After 2 hours or so, you can remove the polenta from the dish by lifting the plastic wrap. Place on a cutting board and cut into desired shape. Square, rectangle, circle with a cookie cutter, half moon etc.
• Fry cakes until warm and browned with a little butter in a preheated fry pan on medium heat. Serve as an appy or as part of dinner.

POLENTA & VEGETABLE BAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450ºF & coat a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
• Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.
• Add eggplant, zucchini, mushrooms, salt and pepper, red pepper flakes and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender and just beginning to brown, 4 to 6 minutes.
• Add water and spinach; cover and cook until wilted, stirring once, about 3 minutes.
• Stir marinara sauce into the vegetables and heat through, 1 to 2 minutes.
• Remove from the heat and stir in basil.
• Place polenta slices in a single layer in the prepared baking dish, trimming to fit if necessary.
• Sprinkle with 3/4 cup cheese, top with the eggplant mixture and sprinkle with the remaining 3/4 cup cheese.
• Bake until bubbling and the cheese has just melted, 12 to 15 minutes.
• Let stand for about 5 minutes before serving.