Food and Recipes Recipes Tomato 'n' Beef Casserole With Polenta Crust 5.0 (1) 1 Review This cheesy, beefy casserole is all kinds of satisfying. The cornmeal-based crust sets this cheesy dish aside from other Italian casserole recipes, while the heartiness makes it a great pick for weeknight dinners. By Southern Living Test Kitchen Southern Living Test Kitchen The Southern Living Test Kitchen has been publishing recipes since 1970, four years after the first issue of Southern Living Magazine appeared on newsstands. The Southern Living Test Kitchen team includes a team of professionals with deep expertise in recipe development, from pastry chefs and grilling experts to nutritionists and dietitians. Together, the team tests and retests, produces, styles, and photographs thousands of recipes each year in the state-of-the-art test kitchen facility located in Birmingham, Alabama. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Updated on July 20, 2022 Print Rate It Share Share Tweet Pin Email Photo: Beth Dreiling Hontzas Prep Time: 20 mins Bake Time: 30 mins Total Time: 50 mins 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. Italian Beef Casserole With Polenta Crust: Substitute Italian sausage for ground chuck and Italian six-cheese blend for Cheddar cheese. Prepare recipe as directed, sautéing 1 medium-size green bell pepper, chopped, with onion in Step Rate it Print