Tomato And Beef Casserole With Polenta Crust - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1 teaspoon salt
1 cup plain yellow cornmeal
1/2 teaspoon McCormick's Montreal Brand steak seasoning
1 cup sharp cheddar cheese
1 lb ground chuck
1 cup chopped onion
1 medium zucchini, cut in half lengthwise and sliced (about 2 cups)
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 (14 1/2 ounce) cans of petite diced tomatoes, drained
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350.
Bring 3 cups of water and 1 tsp salt to a boil in a 2qt saucepan over medium heat.
Whisk in cornmeal; reduce heat to low and simmer, whisking constantly, 3 minutes or until thickened.
Remove from heat, and stir in steak seasoning and 1/4 cup of cheddar cheese.
Spread cornmeal mixture into a lightly greased 11 x 7-inch baking dish.
Brown ground chuck 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.
Saute onion and zucchini in hot oil in skillet 5 minutes or until crisp tender.
Stir in beef, tomatoes, and tomato paste; simmer, stirring often, 10 minutes.
Pour beef mixture over cornmeal crust.
Sprinkle with remaining 3/4 cup of cheese.
Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until bubbly.
Sprinkle casserole with parsley just before serving.