05/26/2012

Polenta Pie with Ground Beef, Sweet Potatoes, Spinach and Red Beans

Something about the versatility of polenta makes for crossing cultures and pops up in my dishes all the time. I love polenta. Its creamy nature of substantial delicious flavor always speaks to me, plus it’s very simple. This polenta was just hanging out in my pantry and one afternoon, I found it and decided that savory polenta pie sounded like a good idea for dinner with the family. You can do this with any base: vegetarian chile recipes, tamale pies, meaty cheesy Tex-Mex ideas, etc. It all works. Put it in a simple casserole dish, then cover it with polenta, and broil; it makes for a delicious substitute for pasta or rice. In this polenta pie, I used a combination of flavors that would satisfy for a meal that could be made ahead of time and then just heated up when needed. I hope you think about using polenta in one of your next meals.

Polenta Pie with Ground Beef, Sweet Potatoes, Spinach and Red beans
1 lb ground beef (or omit for vegetarian option and add extra vegetables)
2 large sweet potatoes, diced small
2 stalks celery, minced
½ large onion, minced
1 cup frozen spinach or 2 cups fresh spinach, cleaned
1 can unsalted red beans, drained and rinsed
1 ½ cups vegetables broth or beef broth
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
Salt
Pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
½ large can diced tomatoes
1 tube polenta, cut into slices
½ cup parmesan cheese
Optional garnish (arugula on top for freshness)

In a large skillet, place 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil and heat over medium-high. Add onion, sweet potatoes and celery and sauté for about 5-8 minutes.
Add the ground beef to the pot and cook till meat has become completely browned, about 7-10 minutes. If there is excess grease in the pot, drain it over the sink carefully.
Add tomatoes and spinach, then cook 5 minutes.
Add salt, pepper, garlic, smoked paprika, red pepper flakes and broth and simmer for 20-25 minutes over low heat. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking. At the last 10 minutes, add rinsed and drained red beans.
Once the sweet potatoes are soft and you’ve tasted for seasoning adjustments, place mixture in a 9×9 baking pan and cover the top of the mixture with the slices of polenta. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and broil in the broiler for about 5-7 minutes till warmed and cheese is melted. This may be longer or shorter depending on your broiler power. If you don’t have a broiler, then use the oven at 400 degrees for about 10-15 minutes.