Ingredients
Polenta:
- 2¼ cups water
- 2½ cups polenta
- pinch of salt
- pinch of black pepper
- 90g butter
Meat sauce:
- 675g Quality Mark beef mince
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 chopped carrot
- 4 sage leaves
- ½ tsp dried thyme
- 3 tsp fresh rosemary
- 800g crushed cherry tomatoes
- pinch of salt
- pinch of black pepper
White sauce:
- 130g butter
- 6 tbsp white flour
- 4 cups milk
- pinch of nutmeg
- 1 cup grated parmesan cheese
Method
To make polenta:
Bring the water to boil in a large saucepan.
Whisk the polenta and cook for 45 minutes, stirring to prevent lumps.
Season and add butter.
Spread the polenta on a wet surface and smooth evenly into a 1.25cm thick layer. Cool.
Sauce:
For the meat sauce, heat the oil in a sauté pan and add the onion, celery, carrot, garlic and herbs.
Sauté until the onions are soft.
Add the beef and sauté for 10 minutes.
Add the tomatoes, salt and pepper.
Cover and simmer for 30 minutes.
For the white sauce, melt the butter in a saucepan.
Stir in the flour and cook gently for 2 minutes.
Stir in the milk and cook until thick.
Season and add nutmeg.
To assemble
Preheat the oven to 175°C.
With a 6.5cm circle cutter, cut the polenta.
Arrange a layer in the bottom of a buttered, 22cm baking dish or several, smaller individual dishes.
Spread half the white sauce over the polenta circles.
Spread over half the meat sauce. Repeat with remaining layers.
Sprinkle parmesan on top and bake for 20 – 30 minutes or until bubbling and golden.
This recipe can also be made into pies using your favourite pastry recipe or ready-made puff pastry. See one of our meat pie recipes for pastry method.
Recipe used with the permission of Beef + Lamb NZ