Cheesy Polenta Casserole
Portion Size: 1 cup
Ingredients: Yields: 8 servings
| Ingredients | Notes: |
| 2 teaspoons olive oil | |
| 2 green bell peppers | Wash, trim and dice |
| 2 cloves garlic, minced | Wash, peel and mince |
| 4 green onions | Wash, trim and slice thin. (including green tops) |
| 1 (32 oz) large jar marinara sauce | Use a vegan plant based marinara |
| 16 oz. low-fat Fontina cheese, shredded | For vegan: use vegan cheese |
| 16 oz. low-fat mozzarella cheese, shredded | For vegan: use vegan cheese |
| 2 (16 oz.) tubes ready-made polenta | Cut into ¼ inch slices For vegan: check to ensure vegan |
| 2/3 cup Parmesan cheese .Grated | For vegan: use vegan Parmesan Cheese |
| 1 cup walnuts, chopped |
Directions:
| Steps: | Directions: | Critical Control Point /Quality Assurance |
| 1 | Preheat oven to 350 degrees. | |
| 2 | Spray a baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. | |
| 3 | Heat oil in a saucepan over medium heat. | |
| 4 | Stir in green pepper, garlic and green onions; cook until pepper softens. | |
| 5 | Pour in marinara sauce and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 to 7 minutes. | |
| 6 | Mix together Fontina and mozzarella cheese. | |
| 7 | Spread a thin layer of sauce over baking dish | |
| 8 | Arrange 1/3 of polenta slices in the dish and top with 1/3 cheese mixture. | |
| 9 | Spread a think layer of sauce over cheese. | |
| 10 | Repeat layers twice. | |
| 11 | Top casserole with parmesan cheese. | |
| 12 | Bake for about 25 minutes until cheese is bubble and golden brown. | Baked to internal temperature 165 degrees (minimum) |
| 13 | Top with Walnuts. | (optional) |