Mexican Polenta Bake

My kids and husband love what I call, Mexican Lasagna.  It is basically layers of tortillas with all the stuff we Americans associate with Mexican food- well at least I do.  Add a litttle cheese on top and voila!  Done! 

I had no tortilla's this time but plenty of polenta so I changed it up a bit. I like the end result but I would put a layer of polenta at the bottom as well to absorb some of those juices. As you can see by the pic below, it was a wee bit juicy.  I did have double the amount of salsa written in the recipe.  Why I did that, I dont know. 

I loved the layer of polenta!

Mexican Polenta Bake


1 jar of salsa (16 ounces)
1 pound beef or sausage (chorizo)
2 cups corn
1 can black beans or pinto, drained
1 onion, chopped
1/4 cup roasted pablano peppers, if you like some heat (optional)
1 green or red pepper, chopped
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 1/2 cups polenta
6 cups water
12 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded
1 can black olives, sliced
s and p to taste

Sauté the chopped peppers and onions, place in casserole dish.  Preheat oven to 350F.  Sauté beef or sausage until browned.  Mix everything into the casserole dish, except the cheese and black olives.

In a saucepan place your water and sprinkle some salt in, bring it to a boil.  Slowly pour the polenta in kind of sprinkling and stirring at the same time, to avoid lumps.  I often will add my polenta just before boiling.  I find it lumps less. Cook the polenta on a lower heat, stirring often. It will thicken- then you know it is ready.  Pour polenta over the casserole, evenly.  Add cheese on top and cover and bake 30 to 40 minutes. 

Uncover, sprinkle with cheese and place back int he oven or under the broiler.  Sprinkle sliced black olives over top. Garnish with sour cream if desired.