Amazing Polenta Casserole Recipe

Name: Vegan Mushroom and Polenta Casserole Recipe
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 80 min
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons olive oil; 1 white onion ((large), cut into very small cubes); 1½ pound Portobello mushrooms; ½ pound sun-dried tomato (, cut into ½"-pieces); 1 teaspoon salt ((or more, to taste)); ¼ teaspoon pepper ( (freshly-cracked, or ground), (or more, to taste)); ⅓ cup basil (, chopped); 4 tablespoons olive oil; 2 garlic cloves (, crushed); 5 tomatoes ((large), peeled, seeded and chopped); 1 teaspoon oregano ((fresh leaves)); 1 teaspoon salt ((or more, to taste)); ¼ teaspoon pepper ( (freshly-cracked, or ground), (or more, to taste)); 2 cups polenta; 1½ cup water; 1 cup sweet corn ((or 1 can)); ⅓ cup raisins ((optional)); 1 teaspoon salt; 1 tablespoon sugar (white, granulated); 2 tablespoons olive oil ( (to grease the baking pan))

Portions: servings

Calories: 419kcal

This flavorful polenta casserole is a dish that is full of complex flavors and is perfect for a weekend lunch. With Mediterranean flavors and inspiration, this delicious vegan polenta and mushroom casserole will please vegans and carnivores alike.

Why I ❤️ it • Recipe • Ingredients • Preparation

Polenta casserole.

Why I ❤️ it

I have to tell you that this is one of my all-time favorites; there are a lot of Mediterranean flavors to this, perfect for a late lunch on a lazy weekend (or, as we call it, "dunch"). Just add fresh salad, some freshly-baked bread (or just reheat it in the oven), and some white wine for an easy yet refined light, gluten-free dish.

Don't be afraid of the multiple steps. It looks more complicated than it really is, and remember, this is almost a one-dish meal, so there won't be much slaving over the stove. I, for one, will definitely be cooking this often.

Polenta casserole recipe

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This easy to make, flavorful meatless polenta casserole with mushroom filling will please vegans and carnivorous alike.

Course: Dinner, Lunch

Inspiration: Mediterranean

Category: mushroom casserole vegan, polenta recipe vegan, Vegan Casserole, vegan polenta dish

Author: Clara González

Prep Time30 mins

Cook Time50 mins

Total Time1 hr 20 mins

Utensils and tools

Ingredients

For the filling

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 white onion (large), cut into tiny cubes
1½ pound Portobello mushrooms
½ pound sun-dried tomato, cut into ½"-pieces
1 teaspoon salt (or more, to taste)
¼ teaspoon freshly-cracked black pepper (or more, to taste)
⅓ cup basil, chopped

For the tomato sauce

4 tablespoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves, crushed
5 tomatoes (large), peeled, seeded, and chopped
1 teaspoon oregano powder
1 teaspoon salt (or more, to taste)
¼ teaspoon freshly-cracked black pepper (or more, to taste)

For the base

2 cups of quick-cooking polenta
1 cup sweet corn (or 1 can)
⅓ cup raisins (optional)
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon white granulated sugar
2 tablespoons olive oil (to grease the baking pan)

Preparation

Before starting, please make sure you have all the ingredients and utensils ready.

Step 1: Make the filling

Heat the oil over very low heat. Add the onion, cook, and stir until the onions become translucent. Stir in mushrooms and sun-dried tomatoes. Simmer covered until the mushrooms are tender.

Season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove from the heat and add the basil. Set aside

Step 2: Make the sauce

Heat olive oil over very low heat. Add garlic and cook and stir until it releases its aroma, do not let it burn. Stir in the tomatoes and simmer covered until they are very soft. Add the oregano and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Using a potato masher, mash the sauce over the heat until there are no big clumps. Set aside

Step 3: Cook the polenta

Mix polenta, 1½ cup of water, sweet corn, raisins, salt, and sugar in a deep pot. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly.

When the polenta is cooked, and it starts lifting from the bottom, remove it from the heat.

Step 4: Assemble the casserole

Preheat oven to 350ºF [175ºC]. Grease the baking dish with olive oil.

Pour half of the polenta mixture and spread in an even layer. Top with the filling and smooth it out. Spread the remaining polenta mix in an even layer and smooth it out with a fork.

Step 5: Bake

Cook in the preheated oven and cook until the top is lightly golden-brown (15-20 minutes).

Step 6: Serving

Polenta casserole served with tomato sauce.

Serve alongside the tomato sauce.

Top tips

If you don't have peeled tomatoes, just make a superficial cross cut at the bottom of the tomatoes and dunk them in abundant boiling water. Remove from the water when the peel starts to come off and finish peeling.
If the polenta is sticking to your spatula or fork just grease the spatula with olive oil, the polenta will slide right off.
You can use ground cornmeal instead of polenta too, but the texture and consistency will be a bit different.

Serving suggestions

Serve with fresh, green salad, olives, and warm bread.

Variations

You can add two layers of mozzarella cheese to the casserole if you don't need the dish to be vegan. You can also sprinkle some grated parmesan cheese for extra flavor.

You can add some Italian sausage removed from the case to the mushrooms when you sautee them if you want to add meat to the casserole.

Nutritional information

Calories: 553kcal - Carbohydrates: 23g - Protein: 36g - Fat: 35g - Saturated Fat: 14g - Cholesterol: 116mg - Sodium: 1642mg - Potassium: 765mg - Fiber: 2g - Sugar: 13g - Vitamin A: 1030IU - Vitamin C: 9.1mg - Calcium: 587mg - Iron: 2.2mg

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FAQs

What is polenta?

Polenta is a type of ground corn that is a traditional Italian ingredient. Polenta is slightly coarser than cornmeal.

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