Food and Recipes Recipes Tomato 'n' Beef Casserole With Polenta Crust Recipe 5.0 (1) 1 Review This one-dish beef casserole will become one of your new favorite dishes. A cornmeal crust in the perfect base for the meat and vegetable mixture and shredded sharp cheddar creates a bubbly, cheesy finish. By Southern Living Editors Published on December 4, 2018 Print Rate It Share Share Tweet Pin Email The ultimate comfort food mixture of ground beef and tomato sauce only gets better atop a hearty cornmeal crust. Photo: Photo: Beth Dreiling Hontzas Yield: 6 servings Ingredients 1 teaspoon salt 1 cup plain yellow cornmeal 1/2 teaspoon Montreal steak seasoning 1 cup (4 oz.) shredded sharp Cheddar cheese, divided 1 pound ground chuck 1 cup chopped onion 1 medium zucchini, cut in half lengthwise and sliced (about 2 cups) 1 tablespoon olive oil 2 (14 1/2-oz.) cans petite diced tomatoes, drained 1 (6-oz.) can tomato paste 2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley Directions Preheat oven to 350°. Bring 3 cups water and 1 tsp. salt to a boil in a 2-qt. saucepan over medium-high heat. Whisk in cornmeal; reduce heat to low, and simmer, whisking constantly, 3 minutes or until thickened. Remove from heat, and stir in steak seasoning and 1/4 cup Cheddar cheese. Spread cornmeal mixture into a lightly greased 11- x 7-inch baking dish. Brown ground chuck in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, stirring often, 10 minutes or until meat crumbles and is no longer pink; drain and transfer to a bowl. Sauté onion and zucchini in hot oil in skillet over medium heat 5 minutes or until crisp-tender. Stir in beef, tomatoes, and tomato paste; simmer, stirring often, 10 minutes. Pour beef mixture over cornmeal crust. Sprinkle with remaining 3/4 cup cheese. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until bubbly. Sprinkle casserole with parsley just before serving. Rate it Print