Beef & Polenta Bake

Tonight's recipe was based on this one from Canadian Living.  I followed the polenta instructions exactly from the above recipe, except I used a full cup of Parmesan cheese, freshly grated.  I get all my cheeses from Costco.  This one was Tre Casali Parmigiano Reggiano.  When it was done, I poured it into the casserole dish and set it aside.

The sauce I sort of followed from the recipe, with some edits.  I just used what ingredients I had in the house.

• 1 large Sweet Onion, diced
• 3 Carrots peeled and diced
• 3 Cloves of Garlic minced
• 2 lbs. of Organic Lean Ground Beef
• Italian Seasoning to taste
• Cayenne Pepper to taste
• Chili Flakes to taste
• Salt (Kosher - I only use Kosher salt)
• Pepper (Freshly Cracked)
• 1 jar (24 oz) of Organic Italian Strained Tomatoes (I used San Remo which had minimal salt - 20mg per half cup)
• 1 can of Tomato Paste
• Parsley to taste (Fresh would be best but I only had dried today)

I simmered it for about a half hour and then let it cool slightly while I preheated the oven to 350°F.  I poured the sauce over the polenta.  I grated some Mozzarella cheese and put it on top, then put it in the oven with the timer set for 50 minutes.

It was bubbling hot when it came out, so I let it sit for 30 minutes before slicing.

It was pretty good.  Kind of felt like getting a lasagna fix without all the noodley carbs.  Probably not something I would rush to make again, but it was a good choice with the ingredients I had at home today.  Having said that, the taste improved greatly the next day when having leftovers...