Italian Beef & Polenta Casserole

A friend of mine posted this recipe from a magazine on Facebook.  I noticed it had zucchini in it, so I had to try it since we have an overabundance of zucchini each summer.  I was kind of hesitant because I haven't ever tried polenta before, but I was pleasantly surprised.  My husband and daughter liked it, my son wouldn't even try it, but that's nothing new.

Italian Beef & Polenta Casserole

2 medium zucchini

1 (17 oz) tube of basil & garlic polenta (I used plain because that's all I could find)

1 lb ground sirloin (I used ground beef, you could also use Italian sausage)

1 (24 oz) jar of pasta sauce

1/4 tsp black pepper

1 cup shredded Italian blend cheese

Preheat oven to 375*.

Cut zucchini in half lengthwise; cut crosswise into 1/4 inch slices.

Cut polenta crosswise into 8 slices; coat each slice with cooking spray.

Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat.

Add polenta slices; cook 3 minutes on each side, or until lightly browned.

Arrange polenta slices in an 11" x 7" baking dish coated with cooking spray.

Reheat pan over medium-high heat.

Brown ground beef, remove from pan and drain if necessary.

Add zucchini to pan, saute 3-4 minutes, or until tender.

Add beef, pasta sauce and pepper to pan with zucchini.  Cook 1-2 minutes, or until thoroughly heated, stirring occasionally.

Spoon mixture over polenta, sprinkle with cheese.

Bake at 375* for 18-20 minutes, or until cheese melts and is bubbly.

Yield 6-8 servings.

Super Easy Stuffed Zucchini

Super Easy Stuffed Zucchini

1½-2 pounds ground beef or turkey

2 extra large zucchini, halved lengthwise, with seeds/middle removed

1 jar spaghetti sauce

½ package (about 8 oz) of frozen corn

1 cup shredded Mozzarella or Italian cheese blend

Directions

Preheat oven to 350ºF.

Brown ground beef or turkey in a large skillet over medium heat. Drain fat.

Place zucchini halves in a baking dish, cut side up, spread a little butter on the halves and bake for about 10 minutes.

Mix the ground beef or turkey, spaghetti sauce and corn together and scoop into zucchini halves.

Cover with aluminum foil and bake in preheated oven until zucchini are tender, about 25 minutes. Uncover, bake another 10 minutes

Sprinkle with cheese and bake until cheese bubbles.

Baked Penne & Smoked Sausage

I had this delicious dish at a pot luck meeting this weekend and had to get the recipe and try it out again with the family.  My daughter LOVED it, my son was "meh" with it (but he's like that with almost everything other than quesadillas) and my husband scarfed it down.  The real test will be with the leftovers, if they go fast, it was a hit.  I thought it was delicious, so I kind of hope that I'm the only one eating the leftovers. :)


Anyways, I apologize for the less-than-professional picture, but I'm just not good at taking pictures of food or "plating" it nicely.  Take it or leave it, but it's delicious no matter what it looks like!

Baked Penne & Smoked Sausage

Serves 6

Ingredients:
1 - 16oz. Hillshire Farm Smoked Sausage
1 - 10 3/4oz. can Cream of Celery condensed soup
1 1/2 cups milk
4 cups cooked Penne pasta (2 1/2 cups uncooked)
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 1/2 cups French's cheddar french fried onions
1 cup frozen peas




Instructions:
1.  Heat oven to 375*F.  Cut sausage into 1/4" pieces, brown and drain well.


2.  In a casserole dish, combine soup and milk.  Stir in pasta, sausage, 1/2 cup of the cheese, 1/2 cup of the french fried onions and peas.


3.  Bake for 30 minutes or until heated all the way through.  Stir.  Top with remaining 1/2 cup of cheese and 1/2 cup of french fried onions.


4.  Bake for 3-5 more minutes or until cheese is melted.