Thursday Night.
Got home late from work and I knew Alexa wasn’t going to be around, so I stopped at my grocer to pick up tortilla chips with which to better enjoy a Mexican layered polenta casserole.
My sister taught me this one a decade ago. What makes it such a winner is it can be thrown together quickly, and if you have high quality pantry staples, its a top-notch easy meal. All you need from the fridge is cheese (and scallions if you have them). If you have a little time and want to substitute a homemade salsa, you’d be a bit more rewarded. Once you know how to make the polenta, you can layer in any number of things and bake them the same way. Italian flavors go great with polenta, as do Southern flavors, earthy mushroom flavors, and limitless other options.
Mexican Layered Polenta
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cup coarse cornmeal (same thing as grits or polenta, don’t use instant)
- 4 cups water
- 1/2 jar of salsa
- Black beans (1 can)
- 1 cup grated cheese (jack, cheddar, cotija)
- Handful of sliced scallions
Bring 3 cups of water to a boil, slowly add in the polenta mixed with the 4th cup of water and whisk to ensure there are no clumps. Bring up to a boil again, and lower the heat to a simmer while stirring frequently. It takes about 15 minutes to cook, and should thicken up considerably. You want it to be fairly thick, as it bubbles it should look like a spewing lava pit, emitting bursts of steam. If its not thick enough you can add a bit more cornmeal. Season with salt and pepper
While the polenta is cooking, grate the cheese, rinse the beans, and slice the scallions. Mix the scallions and 1/2 the cheese into the polenta and turn off the heat. Next, in a 9X9 Pyrex or other baking dish, start layering:
On the bottom, spread 1/2 the polenta, then layer on the beans…
Next add the salsa, then the rest of the cheese…
and cover it with the rest of the polenta. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes…
Such a great meal, I hope it will find its way into your heart…and your pantry!
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7 Comments
This was yummy and filling. We named it “Matthew’s Mexican Marvel.”
Wow, thanks Jennifer, I don’t know what to say, I’m flattered!
mexican casserole leftovers + eggs = spicy eggs and grits
That sounds awesome. I’m making a bigger batch next time to make sure I’ve got enough for breakfast!
this dish sounds great! just thought i would throw out there that polenta and grits are not the same thing. grits are made with ground hominy.
i just found your site, and i love the idea behind it. good job!
I’m a Yankee (and a Mets fan), so thank you for setting me straight on Grits…. I did not know about hominy in grits, I’d love to give it a try. Here are a couple of informative articles: wisegeek.com/what-are-grits.htm, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hominy. Apparently, hominy is dried corn that has been soaked in lye, and then ground. This process further unlocks some of corn’s nutrients. Some grits are made with hominy, but they’re usually referred to as Hominy Grits. Looks like the Mayans were making hominy back in 1500 BC!
VARIATION: Just had a layer of already baked polenta (leftover from a catering job), and topped it with parmesan, Puttanesca and feta, then baked it a little longer. It was nice, a great combo!
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[...] I’ve just decided to make Mexican layered polenta for dinner tonight. I’ll report back with results and the recipe for Patty Lester’s [...]
[...] know you’ve been waiting in breathless anticipation for my take on the Mexican layered polenta I mentioned Monday. Well – it was pretty good. I followed the recipe unusually closely for me, only [...]