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A cheesy Haitian-style polenta casserole
This cheesy Haitian-style polenta casserole is comfort food at its best. The recipe below highlights the key ingredients and substitute cream for the traditional bechamel. Feel free to adjust the seasoning to your taste.
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Prep Time
2
hours
hrs
Cook Time
45
minutes
mins
Ingredients
For the meat
1
lb
ground beef
2-3
garlic heads chopped
½
bell pepper chopped
½
Onion chopped
3-4
Lime juice
1
Piment bouc
Salt
to taste
Pepper
to taste
For the polenta
1
cup
of cornmeal
½
tsp
of salt
¼
tsp
of black pepper
1
garlic head
1
tsp
of dried thyme
1
piment bouc
habanero pepper
1
tbsp
olive oil
1
diced tomato
½
bell pepper sliced
½
onion chopped
3
cups
of water
For the blistered tomatoes
1
pint
of cherry tomatoes
regular tomatoes would work as well
½
cup
of white wine
or cooking wine
2-3
garlic heads chopped
1/8
tsp
salt
¼
tsp
pepper
1
tbsp
of sugar
1
tbsp
olive oil
For the creamy sauce
½
cup
of cream
1/8
tsp
of pepper
3
garlic heads chopped
½
piment bouc chopped
Lime juice
optional
For the inner layers and topping
Grated cheddar
use tête de maure cheese for a fully Haitian version
Instructions
For the meat
Season the beef
Heat a skillet coated with oil
Add the meat to the hot pan
Cook the meat fully making sure to break it into smaller pieces
Brown
Remove from heat and set aside
For the polenta
Prepare a broth with the water, garlic head, piment bouc, salt, pepper, thyme, oil
Bring to a boil
Add the cornmeal, tomatoes, onion and bell pepper
Stir constantly until the water is absorbed
Simmer for about 15 minutes while stirring occasionally to keep the polenta from sticking to the bottom of the pan
Remove the garlic head and piment bouc
For the blistered tomatoes
Heat a skillet
Add the olive oil and chopped garlic
Cook until fragrant
Incorporate the whole cherry tomatoes
Pour the wine and sugar
Let simmer making sure to toss the tomatoes so they can be coated on all sides
When the tomatoes begin to blister and the wine is reduced to half, season them with the salt and pepper
Remove from heat
For the creamy sauce
Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and set aside
Putting it all together
Butter a baking dish
Alternate layers of cooked polenta, ground beef, tomatoes, cream and cheese
Repeat layers until there’s no more polenta or meat
Top generously with cheese
Bake until the cheese has fully melted and is golden
Remove from oven and let cool
Serve warm with your favorite salad (optional)