Tomato & Beef Polenta Casserole

My husband went and bought ground beef in bulk, so I went on the search for a new recipe to use some of it. I came across a southern style recipe that used cornmeal to create a polenta crust - gluten free!  I was very excited to make it and it turned out really well! And it tastes even better warmed up the next day for lunch!

Ingredients:
1 tsp salt
1 cup plain yellow cornmeal
1 tsp Montreal steak spice
2 cups cheddar cheese, grated
1 lb ground beef
1 cup chopped onion
1-1/2 portobello mushroom caps, chopped  **these veggies are optional and can be changed up 
1 medium zucchini, sliced                                 with whatever you have in the fridge.**
1 red pepper, chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
1 can (28 oz) diced tomatoes, strained
1 can (6 oz) tomato paste

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F.  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, 5 minutes or until thickened.  Remove from heat, and stir in steak seasoning and 1/2 cup cheddar cheese.  Spread the cornmeal mixture into a lightly greased large baking dish.

2. Brown ground beef in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat, stirring often, 10 minutes or until meat crumbles and is no longer pink; drain and transfer to a bowl.

3. Sauté onion for a few minutes in hot oil over medium heat until softened.  Add the other vegetables and sauté for another 5 minutes.  Stir in beef, tomatoes and tomato paste; simmer, stirring often for about 10 minutes.  Pour beef mixture over cornmeal crust.  Cover with remaining cheese.

4. Bake at 350F for 30 minutes or until bubbly.

Polenta crust

Sautéed beef with veggies 

The final product