Mexican Polenta Casserole
Mexican Polenta, Bean + Cheese Casserole
I’ve been craving Mexican and this hit the spot 
It was inspired by a number of recipes I have seen recently but the combo was basically what we had on hand:
- Frozen peppers (3 cups)
- Frozen corn (1 cup)
- Diced tomatoes (1 can, drained)
- Cooked navy beans (1 cup – you could use any kind of beans you like, canned or cooked from scratch)
- Taco seasoning (a year-old packet – about a tbsp!)
- Cumin, red pepper flakes, dried oregano and garlic powder – all to taste (about 1/2 tsp each?)
- Polenta (2 servings, prepared)
- 4 oz shredded Mexican cheese
Heat peppers, corn, tomatoes and beans with seasonings until hot. While veggies are cooking, boil water for polenta, add 1/2 a cup polenta and let thicken and cook for 5 minutes. Pour veggie + bean mixture into a casserole dish. Top with polenta. If you have a shallow, wide casserole dish like I did, you will have to spread it out very thin. Top with cheese. Bake at 350* for 15-20 minutes. Bottom layers will be loose, so take care when serving!
Total recipe is about 1225 kcal, 35 grams fiber and 54 grams protein – portion as you like! Makes about 3-4 servings, depending on your appetite.
My serving was a little less than 1/3 of the recipe (about 380 kcal). I served it with a handful of steamed spinach and topped with Cholula, red pepper flakes and a spoonful of Fage.
Check out the chez!
{ 13 comments… read them below or add one }
I made this the other night and really liked the veggies and the cheese. The polenta was rather dull. I could probably google polenta recipes for ways to make it more interesting, but thought perhaps you or your readers might have an idea. Thanks
Laura,
Perhaps add some more Mexican spices to it like cumin, taco seasoning, oregano?
Kath
I am allergic to tomatoes but this looks so good what do you think I might be able to substitute in its place?
Ashley,
Any vegetable you like.
Kath
hey — “frozen peppers”? Is there a way to freeze red or gold peppers that preserves them OK for later cooking (chili, etc?)
I’m experimenting with pre-chopped jalapenos in a small jar in the freezer door to make that a little faster, but wasn’t sure you could “revive” frozen larger peppers.
Great blog — so nice to see the photos with the recipes?
Holly
Holly,
Our peppers came in a bag – I didn’t freeze them myself. But I’m sure you could.
K
I know this post was a while back, but you cant really freeze whole peppers and revive them. If you throw them in the freezer & then defrost them they become wrinkly and filled with water! Ew! Go wtih the frozen bag idea like Kath suggests!
to freeze your own vegetables look up blanching. You have to cook vegetables and then freeze them or the enzymes continue to break down the vegetable.
i freeze raw peppers all the time and never have problems with enzymes breaking them down – we get tons in the end of the summer from the family farm and i wouldn’t be able to use them all up if i didn’t
i cut the peppers up into short 0.5″ wide 1.5″ long sticks, lay them on a baking sheet covered in parchment and freeze until they are solid, then i pop them into a ziploc bag and do some more. it’s easy, (free for me!) and they are fabulous to throw in soups, stews, omelets, etc.
Whenever bell peppers are on sale, I buy some, slice into strips and throw them in a baggie and keep them in the freezer. Just toss them in to whatever you’re cooking. I also buy a can of chipotle peppers in adobo and dump it into a freezer container. Whenever I want one or two (super hot!), I let it sit out for half an hour, pry a pepper and some sauce out, and put the container back in the freezer. Works great.
yum! i’m making this tonight but i’m using left over tamale dough instead of polenta. Thanks for posting this recipe it looks great!
I just tried this and I LOVED it. Thanks for a great recipe.
I added sharp cheddar, cilantro and lime juice to the polenta – just stir it in before you pour it into the casserole dish. I can’t stand plain polenta, so I always add cheese and herbs.