Human Bean on a budget

Cheesy Bean & Pepper Polenta Casserole

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I love this cheesy casserole, it’s incredibly filling and delicious. If you love polenta, you’ll love this dish.

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup Mozzarella Shredded
  • 1 red bell pepper
  • 1 Green Bell Pepper
  • 2 tsps Kosher Salt
  • 1 tsp chili powder
  • ½ tsp Cumin
  • 1/2 tsp Garlic powder
  • ¼ tsp Cayenne Pepper
  • 1/2 tsp ground Black pepper
  • ½ a medium Yellow onion
  • 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
  • 1 can of mild or spicy rotel
  • 6 cloves Garlic
  • 1 can of Black Beans
  • ½ a can of Pinto Beans
  • 4 oz Monterey Jack cheese
  • 1.25 cups Cornmeal Coarse Ground
  • 4.50 cups of Water
  • 3 tbsps All purpose Flour
  • 2 large Eggs
  • 2 teaspoons margarine or butter
  • Nonstick spray
  1. Dice the onion and set aside half for the polenta. 
  2. Dice the bell peppers. 
  3. In a large pot or skillet, saute half the onions and all of the bell peppers in the olive oil on medium heat for about 8 minutes. Add a tablespoon or two of water if it starts sticking to the bottom of the pan. 
  4. Mince your garlic and add it to the pot, cooking for another minute or so.
  5. Add the can of rotel, ½ tsp of chili powder, 1 tsp of salt, ½ tsp of cumin, ½ tsp of garlic powder. ½ tsp of black pepper, and ¼ tsp of cayenne pepper. Reduce the heat to low and cook for another 10-15 minutes, until everything is soft. 
  6. Add the drained beans half way through cooking and mix well.
  7. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
  8. Cook the polenta: bring the water to a boil, add 1 tsp of salt. Pour polenta in slowly, whisking constantly until it’s all stirred and there are no lumps. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, whisking often . Cover and cook for 30 minutes.
  9. Take off the heat. Add the raw onion,1 tsp of salt, flour, butter and ½ tsp of chili powder.  Let cool down for 10 mins.
  10. In a separate bowl, combine your mozzarella cheese and your monterey jack cheese.
  11. Add 1/3 of the cheese bowl into the polenta and mix well. 
  12. Crack the eggs in a separate bowl and whisk together until homogenous. 
  13. Finally Add the eggs to the polenta and mix well to avoid them scrambling.
  14. Spray a 9×13 baking dish with pan spray. Pour the polenta into the dish, then top with the bean mixture. Sprinkle the rest of the cheese mix over everything.
  15. Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until the edges are golden and the cheese begins to brown.
  16. Let rest for a few hours before serving so the polenta has time to stiffen. This is actually best the next day. If eating straight out of the oven, it will be a mess. A delicious mess, but still a mess.

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