Southwest Baked Polenta Casserole is a wholesome, gluten free, vegetarian casserole recipe great for feeding a crowd. Made with simple ingredients like black beans, polenta, green chilies, and plenty of cheese, it’s budget-friendly, easy to make, and great for meal prep!
Why You’ll Love This Southwest Baked Polenta Casserole
Around here, we love a good Meatless Monday dish, and this easy polenta casserole recipe is a longtime go-to that we come back to again and again….and again! Seriously. It’s been in our dinner rotation for years, and we still never get tired of it.
After all, not only is it crazy delicious, but it’s also:
- Made with budget-friendly ingredients.
- Vegetarian, gluten free, and vegan-friendly.
- Great for meal prep and feeding a crowd.
- Full of vitamins, nutrients, and fiber to keep you nourished.
What Is Polenta?
Polenta, also known as stone ground corn, is a paste or dough made from ground cornmeal. An Italian ingredient, it is boiled and served warm similar to oatmeal or grits. Or, it is allowed to cool and solidify into a loaf that is then baked, fried, or grilled.
A hearty ingredient, polenta can be used in both sweet and savory dishes and cooks quickly on the stovetop, in an Instant Pot, slow cooker, or rice cooker. Mild in flavor, it’s super versatile and works great as a binder or base in casseroles, scrambles, soup, and more! We love Bob Redmill’s Organic NON-GMO Polenta and Delallo’s Instant Polenta, but any polenta you find at your local grocery store will work for this polenta casserole.
How to Cook Polenta
If you don’t have or can’t find pre-cooked or quick-cooking polenta, don’t worry! With a similar cooking process to rice, it’s super easy to whip up.
- Bring 3 ½ – 4 cups of broth to a boil in a large saucepan.
- Working slowly, stir in 1 ¼ cup ground polenta, whisking continuously to prevent it from clumping.
- Reduce the heat, cover the pan, and simmer for 20 minutes or until the liquid is absorbed.
Vegetarian, Gluten Free Ingredients You’ll Need
Think vegetarian recipes have to be bland and expensive? Think again! Featuring warm, Southwestern-inspired flavors, this polenta casserole is heavy on flavor yet light on the wallet.
- Polenta – To cut down on prep time, we recommend using a quick-cooking polenta like Delallo’s Instant Polenta or pre-cooked polenta.
- Butter/Olive Oil – This adds a rich taste to the polenta. For a dairy free option, swap it out for light olive oil instead.
- Cheese of Choice – A great source of calcium and plant-based protein, everything tastes better with cheese! We like shredded Cheddar cheese, but you could use Monterey Jack, Parmesan Cheese, Mozzarella Cheese, or anything else you prefer. If needed, use dairy free cheese instead. Just note that the texture of your polenta casserole may change slightly based on what you use.
- Flavor Enhancers – Garlic, salt, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, and black pepper combine to create a warm, savory Southwest flavor and add a boost of anti-inflammaory properties!
- Tomatoes – Ro*Tel® Original Diced Tomatoes & Green Chiles and a slight hint of spice and extra moisture to the dish.
- Black Beans – These add tons of fiber and plant-based protein to this dish as well as a satisfying texture, making it hearty, filling, and extra delicious.
- Garnishes – Technically optional, we love to add cilantro, sliced avocado, sour cream, and sliced jalapeños on top for extra flavor.
How to Make This Black Bean Polenta Casserole Recipe
- Prepare the Polenta. In a large pot, cook your polenta according to the package instructions. Just before it is done cooking, whisk in the butter and part of the cheese.
- Season. Add the minced garlic cloves, onion, salt, and chili powder to the polenta, and mix to combine. Layer the polenta into a greased baking dish, smoothing it out in an even layer.
Flavor Tip: For a bolder taste, sauté the onion and garlic over medium heat until fragrant before combining it with the polenta.
- Prepare the Beans. In a separate bowl, combine the black beans, cumin, garlic powder, cayenne, and black pepper, tossing until the beans are well coated.
- Layer remaining Ingredients. Add the black bean mixture on top of the polenta followed by the tomatoes and green chiles. Sprinkle cheese on top.
Pro-Tip: If your polenta is too runny or moist, parbake it at 350° Fahrenheit for 15 minutes before layering the beans on top.
- Bake. Place the polenta casserole in the oven until the edges begin to brown. Then, cover the dish with aluminum foil, and continue to bake until the center of the casserole is completely baked through and the edges are golden brown. *For a crispier texture, broil the casserole at the end of baking until the cheese in browned.
- Serve. Remove the dish from the oven, and let it cool before slicing. Portion the polenta, add your favorite toppings, and enjoy!
Storage Options
We love to whip up one or two batches of this polenta casserole for easy meal prep to enjoy throughout the week! Once cooled, leftovers can be transferred to an airtight container and stored in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Or, for a make-ahead option, assemble the casserole, cover it (unbaked), and store it in the freezer for up to 3 months. Then, when you’re ready to bake, let it thaw in the fridge overnight, and bake covered at 350° Fahrenheit.
More of Our Favorite
Budget-Friendly Vegetarian Comfort Foods
If you love this polenta casserole recipe, you won’t want to miss out on more of our favorite comfort foods, gluten free of course!
Southwest Baked Polenta Casserole
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 5–6 servings 1x
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
Southwest black beans polenta casserole is a gluten-free, vegetarian casserole made with black beans, polenta, peppers, cheese, and more. An easy, healthy, freezer friendly dinner recipe!
Ingredients
- 3 ½ cups cooked polenta (see notes for cooking instructions)
- 1 Tablespoon butter or light olive oil
- 6 –8 ounces shredded cheese, divided (see notes for dairy free)
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic (about 1 clove)
- ⅓ cup onion, finely diced *
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- 1 can (10 ounces) Ro*Tel® Original Diced Tomatoes & Green Chiles, drained (see notes for substitutes)
- 1 can (15 ounces) black beans, drained and rinsed (2– 2 ½ cups)
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ⅛ –¼ teaspoon cayenne
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- Optional Garnishes/Toppings– chopped cilantro, sliced avocado, sour cream, sliced jalapeños
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 F. Coat a 9×13 pan with olive oil or nonstick cooking oil spray and set aside.
- In a large pot, cook the polenta according to package instructions. When polenta is almost done cooking, stir in butter and 4 ounces of shredded cheese until creamy.
- Next stir in the minced garlic, onion (see notes below), salt, and chili powder with the polenta. Mix thoroughly.
- Transfer polenta mixture into the 9×13 pan and spread until even, reaching each corner. If polenta is too runny or moist, parbake it at 350F for 15 minutes, then add the rest of your layers and bake again.
- In a medium-sized bowl, stir together the black beans, cumin, garlic powder, cayenne, and black pepper. Evenly distribute the black beans on top of the polenta.
- Layer the tomatoes and green chiles over the black beans.
- Finally, add the remaining shredded cheese evenly on top of the tomatoes and green chiles. Add more than 2 oz, if desired.
- Bake for 30 minutes or until the edges start to brown.
- Then cover with aluminum foil and bake for an additional 5 -10 minutes or until the center of the casserole is baked through and edges are golden brown.
- If desired, broil until the edges and cheese are browned and crispy. Remove from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes before slicing.
- Add optional toppings when platting.
- Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Notes
Substitutes – 4 ounces canned green chiles added to a 10 ounce can of regular diced tomatoes (drained) can be substituted for Rotel. Dairy Free Shredded Cheese may be substituted for regular shredded cheese. Texture and taste will vary.
Polenta Cooking Tips – For cooking coarse ground polenta, bring 3 ½ to 4 cups of broth to a boil. Slowly add in 1 ¼ cup polenta, whisking while adding it to the pot so it doesn’t clump. Reduce and cover for 20 minutes until liquid is absorbed. If using quick cooking polenta like Delallo’s Instant Polenta (cooks in 3 minutes) follow package instructions. You can also buy precooked polenta, crumble into a saucepan over low-medium heat and stir in non dairy milk or broth until heat until combined and creamy.
Flavor Tip – Saute onion and garlic until fragrant before mixing with polenta
Meal Prep – Assemble the casserole (do not bake unless you are par baking the polenta before adding the toppings), cover and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. When ready to bake, remove from the freezer and thaw overnight. Bake covered at 350 F for 30 minutes or until the casserole is cooked through. If desired, uncover and broil until the edges and cheese are browned and crispy. Remove from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes before slicing.
- Prep Time: 5
- Cook Time: 45
- Category: Main
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: mexican-italian- american
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 268
- Sugar: 1.5 g
- Sodium: 761.5 mg
- Fat: 14 g
- Saturated Fat: 6.7 g
- Carbohydrates: 23.3 g
- Fiber: 6.3 g
- Protein: 13.3 g
- Cholesterol: 35.1 mg
Keywords: polenta casserole, southwest black beans, gluten free dinner, vegetarian casserole
Do you have questions, feedback, or tips about this recipe? Leave a comment below with any questions or feedback you’d like to share!
I’ve made this recipe about 5 times and think I finally have it down. For me, it’s 100% a 5-star recipe, with these adjustments:
-Baking the polenta by itself for 25 minutes (before adding the other layers of ingredients) is a must. The first few times I made this, I did not do that and it turned out a soupy mess, despite only using 3c of liquid for the polenta, vs the 3.5 or 4c it calls for.
-I like mixing the black beans with the tomato and chiles and then putting the mixture on top of the polenta. I find that the black beans dry out otherwise.
-Author: In your directions, you say to put the tomatoes on top of the polenta, then the black beans, but the image of the recipe being prepared shows the opposite (black beans first, then tomatoes). I think the image has it right, just my personal preference.
-Cover the pan with foil for the first 30 minutes and then remove foil and cook for 10 more minutes. This keeps everything from drying out and gets the cheese nice and melty.
-In total, this dish takes over an hour just for cooking time. That is not very apparent, so be prepared for that. Bet on 25 minutes for polenta alone, then 30 minutes with everything covered, 10 minutes uncovered, and then a good 20 minutes to rest/cool, otherwise you will scorch your mouth because it’s so delicious, you won’t be able to wait.
-I didn’t change any ingredients. It’s a really delicious dish. I like to add sliced radishes, avocados, and pickled jalapeños on top 🙂
Thank you for these cooking and flavor tips! We are in the process of updating recipes cards so we’ll definitely make this one a priority!
I mixed whole kernel corn into the polenta before baking the crust to add texture and juiciness. Mixed kidney beans with black beans which added colour and it still tastes great. Also would use fresh tomatoes next time as the canned ones are a bit too juicy and it soaks into the crust. Used fresh green chilis and chilli flakes as I didn’t have powder. It was superb
★★★★★
Your addition of corn sounds fantastic, Peter, and I love that you found a nice way to incorporate fresh veggies instead of canned! Thanks for the review.
Hi! Do you know the dimension of the casserole?
Hi Victoria! We baked the casserole in a 9×13-inch casserole dish. Hope this helps!
Perfect! Thank you very much!
Nice post. thanks for sharing with us.
★★★★★
I found that many polenta recipes are not very easy to replicate. But your recipe looks indeed very easy AND incredibly nice! Thank you for sharing – I am definitely bookmark this one!
Let me know if you try it!
This has become a staple in my household. I prep the polenta base, cook it until set, then layer on the veggies. When I feel fancy, I sauté chopped onion, garlic, red peppers with chunks of butternut squash, then add seasoned black beans. Big hit with my husband and even the toddlers.
★★★★★
I’m so glad! Thanks for your feedback Laura! Merry Christmas. <3
Unless the Polenta is made ahead, this takes over an hour to cook and bake. The recipe is misleading and reminds me to always read ALL of the directions and not just go off the prep and bake times. Off to find something else to make with my now cooking polenta…
How does this reheat? I feel like polenta can get really hard but I could also see that not happening with this recipe because of the eggs?
From frozen or just reheating in general?
Do you feel the recipe would turn out well made one day ahead of time and reheated in the oven right before serving?
Oh my gosh I love polenta! I haven’t had it in so many years and I love that you added it to this casserole! Pinned
★★★★★
It’s a favorite! Keep me posted Lakshmi.
So glad to hear that! Enjoy!
Even images are also perfectly clicked .
I love the way you have a good star rating and hardly anyone has made the dish.
I’ve had a ton of people make this dish. The rating comes from Pinterest too and they post their photos their and instagram.
Hope you give it a whirl 😉
This was delicious! Definitely something I’ll add into my regular rotation.
I made a few minor changes that I think worked really well. I added some grated zucchini and carrot as its own layer (to try and boost the veggies). Next time I might also add some finely chopped capsicum. Ready-diced tomatoes with chili is not easy to come by in Australia, so I combined one tin of diced tomatoes with half a chopped fresh jalapeno and let it rest for a couple of hours.
Thank you so much!
★★★★★
Oh i love how you adapted this! Well done jess. Totally trying this version. My husband is from new zealand, they don’t have chile tomatoes either, I get it!
It’s in the oven! Thanks!
★★★★★
It was delicious.
★★★★
Wonderful! So glad!
Mentions roasted red peppers but not in recipes steps or noted as a garnish. How do you use ?
I’m not seeing that. Do you mean in the post or recipe card? Happy to help!
you mean the canned tomatoes with chili peppers?
Just made this but misread the recipe, I made 3 C uncooked polenta – oops! Obviously, I don’t cook polenta much…..in fact, probably never from scratch (just the tube). Thought it was an awful lot….so things will be out of proportion, but I’m still looking forward to it. I only had the 2 oz of shredded cheese, but wish I had twice that!
Oh no! Did it all work out? Happy to add notes to the recipe card if that helps!
This recipe was amazingly delicious and simple to prepare especially using the polenta rounds. Since we have mostly been eating lots of vegetable dishes, soups and salads- this was so hearty and satisfying! Thanks!
★★★★★
Oh I love it Cynthia! Thanks for feedback! Polenta rounds work great too.
Hi! Tried making this tonight (still cooling down!) But I was a bit confused on step 4. Should this say mix in garlic _powder_ and onion _powder_ with the polenta? I threw in the actual garlic and onion then instead before realizing those were supposed to go with the black beans later…
They softened up anyways from the residual cooking and baking and flavored the polenta, but I don’t quite think that’s what you intended!
Oh sorry about that! I will update. But yes, you can mix with the polenta or black beans, actually.
I saw a comment below where someone added diced sweet potatoes…sounds yummy! Any thoughts on other veg to add to pump up the nutrients…we love our veg. Maybe fresh peppers….even broccoli?
Hi- Never made Polenta before. I bought Pre Cooked in a roll by mistake. You said to just cut & slice on bottom. So do I skip all of this?
In another large pot, cook you polenta according to package instructions. See notes.
When polenta is almost done cooking, add in butter or oil, and 4 ounces of shredded cheese. Stir until creamy.
Next mix in your, garlic, onion, salt, chili powder, 2 eggs, and coconut flour. Mix thoroughly.
Pour polenta/cheese/egg mix at the bottom of the casserole dish and pack it evenly into the sides. It should make a nice bottom layer for the casserole. If your polenta is too runny or moist, I suggest baking it first at 350F for 15-20 minutes, then removing and add the rest of your layers to bake again.
Thank you for recipes. Gluten free & Dairy free and working all the time is challenging.
So sorry for the delay! I would slice the polenta and layer it in the bottom, then beans, veggies, and cheese on top instead. You won’t need eggs. Does that make sense?
Ultimately, after spending many hours on the internet at last we’ve uncovered somebody that surely does know what they are. Thank you for sharing wonderful article. Great post. I will be your regular visitor.
Thank you!
You mention this is freezer friendly. At what point can it be frozen for future use (after all assembled or part way through)? Also, if freezing, do I thaw before reheating or overnight in the refrigerator? When reheating, whether frozen or thawed, at what temp for how long?
Hi Stephanie! There are two options. Option #1: you want to cook your polenta, then layer other ingredients as noted (except for the cheese) and freeze. Save the cheese and add on top before baking at 350 for 30-35 minutes. Option #2 is cooking as directed, then cool completely before freezing. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat in 350 oven for 15-20 minutes – covered to prevent over-browning. Hope this helps. 🙂
That definitely helps! I’ll fill you in on the option I use and how it turned out.
Great, Stephanie! Looking forward to hearing back from you. 🙂
Sorry for the very delayed feedback. I chose option one, cooking the polenta and layering, then freezing. Took an hour to hour and a 1/4 to completely cook after taking out of the freezer.
Making this recipe right now! It’s currently in the oven.
The picture looks delicious. The overall execution of the recipe was quiet frankly a mess. It took two people to try and decipher it and we still aren’t sure we did it correctly. If this recipe turns out as delicious as it looks, I’ll be writing this recipe down in a more coherent way for myself.
★★★
This was so good and so filling! My husband called it his new favorite dish! The only changes I made was fresh tomatoes, a big can of the green chilies, and the beans were so close to my Chili’s copycat black beans that I just did that instead. Avocado chunks on top are a must and we also did lime wedges.
My friend happened to pop by so she got a serving for her lunch and her 16 year old also approved.
So this one casserole has been 10 servings so far and there’s still about 2 servings left! As a mom of 6 that’s awesome!
★★★★★
Oh I love this! Thank you for sharing the feedback! I will update and note the fresh tomatoes. 😉
Its in my nature to learn from others. I apply a similar learning approach for blogging as well. A few week ago I started a blogging series by writing things that I have learned, Put to action and seen results.
Thanks for sharing another sooper post.
Thank you Rina! Best of luck with your blogging endeavors 🙂
Its in my nature to learn from others. I apply a similar learning approach for blogging as well. A few week ago I started a blogging series by writing things that I have learned, Put to action and seen results.
Thanks for sharing another sooper post.
Thank you for sharing! Best of luck on your endeavors:)
Loved this recipe! We prepped it on Sunday and ate it for lunch throughout the week.
★★★★★
Woohoo ? thanks for letting me know Brittany. We love it too
Loved this recipe! It’s a perfect winter receipe. I added some faux chicken which was a nice addition. Delicious!
★★★★★
Oh thank you Samantha! So glad! Love the faux chicken idea!
Polenta absolutely does not need eggs to be dense and not crumble. Easy to convert to vegan.
★★★
Made this last night, it was easy and delicious. I also added a little bit of diced sweet potato.
★★★★★
Oooh, yum! Love that addition. Glad you liked it! 😀
Hi, this looks great – quick question: I only have the roll of polenta, and want to slice it to use on the bottom (as you suggested). If I do that, should I still do the egg mixture to pour on top?
That totally works! Yes, mix the egg, milk, cheese and add that last on top. Layer polenta sliced first, then beans and tomatoes and chiles, then egg. YOu can even add cheese on top of the polenta before the beans. Does that make sense?
This look yuummyyy !!!
★★★★★
I wish people would comment on making this rather than wishing they made it. I really don’t care about this totally worthless comments they make.
I’m actually going to be making it on Instagram stories today. But I can also direct you to the people who have made it, but just haven’t commented. Let me know if that helps.
Pile mine up with all the avocado!!!
This sounds amazing! Could you use flax eggs or egg replacer to make it plant based?
Good question! I haven’t tried it yet, But i think mixing in flax egg ot the polenta would work! Either way, it should work and taste great, just might not be at thick. THe bottom polenta layer. Does that make sense?
Yes it does. I plan on making this for New Year’s brunch!
Fantastic! Let me know how it goes!:D
How did it turn out for you Sue?
It was really good! I decided to use the Follow Your Heart egg replacer instead of making my own and I used Miyoko’s vegan mozzarella cheese and butter (which is excellent). It wasn’t as healthy as if I had used nutritional yeast etc but all of the guests (Omni and plantbased) loved it. I’ll definitely make it again!
Polenta is not made with eggs to start with. Egg is not an ingredient in traditional polenta. No thickener is needed at all for polenta… it thickens on its own.
Correct! I just added the eggs to the cooked polenta to form a thicker base for the casserole It also pumped up the protein a tiny bit. The flavor was great! But you totally don’t need to add them. You’re right!
it looks vert delicious i gonna make it and eat it.. keep sharing these wonderful racepies
I wasn’t too sure about this recipe. I was worried it would be a mushy mess. But I ended up loving it. The polenta I found in my grocery store was sun dried tomato. I sliced it up and cooked it in the frying pan for a little bit then put it in the casserole dish. Used canned of diced chili peppers and 3 eggs. Lots Monterey Jack cheese and then green onions and sour cream afterward. Yum! Will make again.
oh i love the addition of sun dried tomatoes! thanks for your feedback Catherine!
Sorry if this is a silly question, but I’m wondering if I could use my tube of precooked polenta for this recipie ?
no silly at all! I am sure you can. I’m thinking either reheat it so you can pour it easily. Or slice it and layer in the casserole. Does that help?
Yes! That’s exactly what I needed to know. Thanks so much for the quick reply! Looking forward to making this!
Awesome! keep me posted.
I found that many polenta recipes are not very easy to replicate. But your recipe looks indeed very easy AND incredibly nice! Thank you for sharing – I am definitely saving this one!
Let me know if you do! I find the more fine polenta works best. Keep me posted Elaine!
Delicious food.
Get me the recepie.
Excellent food
I prepped this on Sunday, then refrigerated it and cooked on Monday night. The flavor was great, but it had a lot of moisture in it…any ideas what I could have done wrong? I expected the polenta to be more of a firm layer, but it was very creamy and certainly didn’t allow me to scoop out a nice square like you show in your photo above. I used fresh tomatoes for the middle layer, but otherwise made as written, and I was careful to “underwater” my polenta. It almost seemed like I should have pre-baked the polenta layer first?
Oh no! I’m so sorry. What polenta did you use? I’m finding each brand different in baking times. I’ll make note is this. You want the polenta pretty firm before baking. –
Almost under cooked. You could bake for 15 -20 minutes before layering with the rest next time. Definitely worth a shot! I’ll try it again myself
Ah, I LOVE LOVE LOVE this! I could eat my bodyweight in black beans, haha. I never really had polenta as a staple, but I’ve tried it before and it’s great!
pretty sure you would LOOOOOVE polenta cassie!
Hi, Really great effort. Everyone must read this article. Thanks for sharing.
Can you believe I have never cooked polenta?! Since you are doing it, I guess I have to!
OMG you must friend! you’d love!
Amazing blog and very interesting stuff you got here! I definitely learned a lot from reading through some of your earlier posts as well and decided to drop a comment on this one.
Thanks for sharing. I hope it will be helpful to many people that are searching for this topic. Keep posting guys and keep this forum a great place to learn things.
Why is polenta not more popular? I LOVE this shit-ake and this looks delicious, C.
Gah, now I want polenta stacks, followed by this beauty.
i don’t know. Maybe people are confused with name? LOL! polenta/corn grits… whatever. And corn , it get a bad rap. But still I LOVE ME SOME POLENTA!
The ingredient list has 2 eggs in it, but the directions do not mention adding these 2 eggs anywhere! Maybe they go into the Polenta?
Oh thank you for pointing that out! Will fix ASAP! Yes, eggs are mixed into the polenta before baking.
I love this, and now I know what to do with that box of polenta I’ve had for months. I can’t wait to try this. Great recipe.
great! just add extra cheese please. <3
You know it. I saw the little note in the recipe using 4 ounces as a jumping off point. 🙂
Hi there
That’s a great recipe – looks totally yummy!. I have a page – similar subjects, perhaps you want to check it out? It’s slimtrim.com, it is workouts, health advice and recipes, I think you’ll enjoy it – perhaps you want to do an article for us and we can do one for you? Guest posting in other words, think about it and let me know 🙂
Les
I love this recipe! I have a page – similar subjects, perhaps you want to check it out? It’s slimtrim.com, it is workouts, health advice and recipes, I think you’ll enjoy it – perhaps you want to do an article for us and we can do one for you? Guest posting in other words, think about it and let me know 🙂
This looks like the perfect summer-to-fall recipe and I can’t wait to make it. I need to pass this off with a “meat and potatoes” person in mind so I was thinking about adding chicken. Have you made this with meat and do you have any suggestions? I’m thinking cutting up 2-3 chicken breasts and having them cook with all the other yummy stuff.
totally! i’ve added chicken sausage too. So good. Let me know if you try it.
Everyone want to use problems free system and in this scenario your post is really informative and effective. This kind of awareness is very important for every computer user.
The amazing thing is that beans and rice are universal staples in so many cultures, because they are so easy to grow and so wonderful for making a complete meal that is really filling without expensive meat. 🙂 This LOOKS DELICIOUS!
right? I love it for that reason. Fuel that filling and bean around for ages. REAL FOOD
You make menu planning easy! Love love tex mex.
yea! i hope u love. keep me posted
This looks divine! I love tex-mex anything, and crispy polenta crust is just the icing on the cake. (The… crust on the pie?) 😛
haha love that PUN!
this casserole would be a BIG hit with my tex-mex loving gang
Are you stalking me? I was just in Whole Paycheck staring at the polenta. It’s been way too long since I’ve made it. This looks like a good football party dish to me!
This looks ridiculously delicious! I love polenta and this would be the perfect dinner – especially when topped with creamy avocado!
right? I feel like it’s so overlooked yet so cheap and good!
Do you have any suggestions for what I could use in place of the roasted peppers? I was thinking tomatoes but they might be a bit too squishy and wet.
you can totally use fire roasted tomatoes, just drain the juice. the polenta really soaks it up. maybe use 3/4cup versus 1 cup.
I haven’t made a casserole in a long time. They’re so quick and easy though and I should get on that!
Oh I love those corny Cotter moments…They are my favorite! I am honestly not a casserole fan, unless the top is super crispy or burnt on the edges…LOL! I would though eat yours of course and I would bring the wine! Miss you friend and I hope we can catch up soon! XOXO
Heck yeah, I’m game for vegetarian casserole Mondays! This looks like pure perfection…I’ll never say no to a hearty, healthy southwest-inspired meal. Bring it, sista!
It’s the perfect time of year for casseroles! This looks so yummy!!!
Oh my gosh I love polenta! I haven’t had it in so many years and I love that you added it to this casserole! Pinned 🙂
i’ve missed it! love me some polenta!
I’ve never had polenta in my life and have no idea what it tastes like. This looks like a good way to try it!
this is total tex-mex dish that will be a favorite in our house too!
yay! tex mex friends. haha