Four Cheese Polenta Casserole

I recently got a full time job, at a co-op no less. While the pay is not that exciting the 20% discount on good food is great. But that also means that my cooking will shift a bit, more towards what can be reheated for lunches then the more expansive cooking I've been doing during these past few months when I was unemployed.

I decided to search one of my favorite blogs, Simply Recipes, for inspiration and found this great looking casserole recipe . Since I was cooking from my pantry and didn't have any fontina cheese as Elise's recipe called for, I compensated by using almost all of the cheeses in my larder and turned this into a four cheese casserole. Adding some lacinto kale (aka dinosaur or Tuscan black kale) which needed to be cooked up almost made this a healthy dish. Regardless of the calories, it was mighty tasty and I expect it to get better with time!

Four Cheese Polenta Casserole

1 cup coarse cornmeal
1 quart water
1 teaspoon salt
15 oz can diced tomatoes
1 bunch kale, shredded
1/2 onion
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup shredded parmesan cheese
1 cup shredded pecorino romano cheese
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled

In medium sauce pan saute onion in olive oil until softened. Add kale and cook until wilted. Stir in tomatoes and cook over medium heat for 15 minutes. Set aside. In sauce pan bring quart of water to boil, add 1 teaspoon of salt and slowly add cornmeal stirring constantly. Cook 10 minutes, stirring continuously. In large casserole pan (9 inch square, 10 inch round) dab bottom with tomato mixture, then add half of polenta, followed by half of tomato mix, top with half of each cheese and repeat. Finish with cheese. Allow to sit at room temperature for 2 hours. Bake in preheated oven at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Hugs!