Bean+Veg+Meat+Cheese Choose Your Own Polenta Bowl Bar

[j00j]

Reposting from intro thread at jesse_the_k's suggestion.

Invented by me to feed a family with varying needs/wants, and to be prepped ahead so we can eat fast when we get home from work. Choose your own gluten free adventure, flexible for additional dietary restrictions or preferences. Toddler friendly (can select small amounts of components likely to be accepted)

Ingredients:
- Vegetables-- low effort: Microwave frozen veg. More effort: Roast a pan of veg in advance. This time I roasted precut butternut squash and microwaved some steam in bag spinach.
- Beans-- low effort: open a can of cannellini or chickpeas. More effort: Marinate can of beans in advance in olive oil/italian spices/sun dried tomato/lemon juice.
- Polenta log from the grocery store these are found in the produce section of US grocery stores with tofu and egg roll wrappers, typically.
- 1 jar tomato sauce
- 1 package turkey pepperoni (sub veggie sausage or your additional protein of choice, or omit)
- shredded mozzarella, parmesan, or dairy free cheez.


Time: Lowest effort version is maybe 10-15 minutes total. High effort would be 45 minutes including chopping and roasting veg.

Tools: Minimally, microwave and stove, cutting surface/knife. Oven optional for roast veg (could also sautee or steam!).

Methods: I prepared the veg and beans in advance over the weekend. I also sliced the polenta. Night of meal, I sauteed the polenta in olive oil and assembled everything else for people to select from on the counter. And I microwaved the spinach.
Once polenta was ready, we made our bowls and microwaved to melt cheese and heat sauce. Toddlers received a selection of separate components on plates.

Variations: This was a hit the first time I did it and can be repeated without getting old. It would also be an easy way to reuse leftover proteins or veg from another meal.

I want to try a Mexican-ish variant with black/pinto beans, corn, salsa.

Comments

[writedragon]

This is such a good idea. We do a variant of this by putting all or some of these ingredients (veg, meat, beans, potatoes) into corn tortillas and rolling them up into tacos, salsa optional. It's quick and easy and a great way to use up leftovers. I really like the polenta variation and will definitely give it a try. Thanks for this.

[runpunkrun]

I love that you have low-effort and more-effort versions of this recipe. That tracks with how I cook. <3