This Italian baked polenta with meat sauce is so amazing and one of our family's favorites. Tasty polenta topped with meat sauce and cheese is baked in the oven until golden and delicious. This is true Italian comfort food and so simple to make.
In my Italian family, we grew up eating lots of polenta. It is economical, feeds a large family (which we had) and is delicious. Our family made baked polenta with a simple Italian marinara sauce and cheese on top. Sometimes a baked gnocchi or Italian meatloaf was thrown into the mix 🙂
I've improved on my family's recipe by adding even more flavor to the polenta (like we do with our creamy polenta) and added a meat sauce to make it extra special. This is now my family's favorite way to eat this style of polenta and once you try it it will be yours too!
What is Polenta?
Polenta, a traditional Italian dish made from cornmeal, has been enjoyed for centuries in various forms across Italy. One of the most popular versions is baked polenta which is a rustic, comforting dish that can be served as a main course or as a side. There are endless flavor combinations and toppings, and this one with meat sauce and cheese is my favorite.
Ingredients And Substitutions
The ingredients are all so simple for this recipe. Here is what you need:
- Italian meat sauce. This is my family's meat sauce that we always use for this polenta (and our rigatoni al forno) and it is so easy to make. You can also use a simple marinara sauce if you are pressed for time.
- Instant polenta. You want instant polenta for this recipe which is a quick-cooking polenta. It will say this on the box or the box of polenta will say it cooks in about 5 minutes. If you prefer traditional polenta, make sure to follow those instructions for cooking.
- Parmesan cheese. This is my preferred cheese for this recipe but feel free to use other Italian cheeses like Fontina, Pecorino Romano, or Asiago.
- Mozzarella cheese. Shredded mozzarella works best for this recipe.
- Butter. If you do not have butter, olive oil will work in a pinch.
- Kosher salt.
- Chicken stock. If you do not have this, you can use water.
As you can see from the ingredients listed above, so much flavor goes into the polenta. Don't worry though, it is plenty easy to make.
Just remember that polenta cooked on its own just tastes like cornmeal and does not have a lot of flavor.
With this recipe, I've added lots of flavor to it so it tastes amazing.
How to Make Italian Baked Polenta With Meat Sauce
Making this baked polenta is super simple. Here are the main steps (full recipe below).
- Make the polenta: Make the polenta on the stovetop then when it is done, pour it into a large baking dish to cool. When the polenta cools it firms up so it can be baked with toppings later.
- Make the meat sauce: This is our favorite Italian meat sauce and it is super simple. Feel free to add more meat to the sauce like Italian sausage if you like.
- Assemble: Add the meat sauce, mozzarella and Parmesan on top of the polenta.
- Bake: Bake the polenta in the oven until bubbly and golden brown on top.
Recipe Tips
- How to avoid lumpy polenta: To avoid polenta with lumps, make sure to stir the polenta constantly while it is cooking. You can use a whisk or a large wooden spoon to do this.
- How to fix lumpy polenta: Lumpy polenta will most often happen with traditional polenta, not instant polenta (like in this recipe). Having siad that, it can happen so if it does, here is what you do: add a little more liquid to the polenta in the pot that is over a medium heat and whisk vigorously until it smooths out. If the polenta is becoming to thick while you are stirring, add a little more liquid.
- Half the recipe for a smaller group: Baked polenta makes great leftovers but if you prefer to forgo that, feel free to half the recipe. Just make sure to use a smaller baking dish and know that you will have to adjust the cooking time.
Frequently Asked Questions
Grits and Italian corn meal are not the same thing. There are different varieties of grits. Some grits are made from a corn meal that is made from hominy and some from corn but the type of corn and their milling process make it not suitable to use to make polenta.
Baked polenta will last for up to 3 days in the fridge with no problems. Just make sure it is covered to prevent it from drying out.
If you do not have Parmesan or mozzarella you could certainly use another shredded cheese. Asiago, Provolone and Pecorino Romano are all great options.
You can substitute finely regular ground corn meal (not finely ground) if you cannot find polenta. Do try to find the polenta if you can!
How To Store And Reheat Leftover Baked Polenta
Baked polenta stores so well in the fridge making it a wonderful make-ahead dish. To do this just make the polenta following the recipe instructions below then allow the polenta to fully cool.
Once cooled, keep it in its original baking dish and cover it with plastic wrap or aluminum foil, and place in the fridge for up to three days. I do not recommend freezing this dish. To reheat the polenta, place the baking dish with the polenta in it on the counter to take the chill off it (about 20 minutes). Once this happens, cover the dish with aluminum foil and place in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for 20-25 minutes.
More Italian Comfort Food Recipes
If you love this Italian-style polenta, you may also like these:
Italian Baked Polenta With Meat Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups Italian polenta quick cooking (instant polenta)
- 3 ½ cups Water
- 1 cup Chicken stock
- 8 ounces Shredded mozzarella
- ¼ cup Parmesan cheese grated
- ¼ cup Heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon Unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Make the meat sauce then set aside.
- In a medium saucepan, add the water and chicken stock and bring to a boil.3 ½ cups Water, 1 cup Chicken stock
- Once boiling, reduce heat to medium, add polenta, and salt and whisk constantly until the polenta thickens but is still pourable.1 ½ cups Italian polenta, 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- Remove from the heat then add the butter and cream and mix well.¼ cup Heavy cream, 1 tablespoon Unsalted butter
- Pour the polenta into a greased 9x11 baking dish.
- Allow to cool for at least 15 minutes or until the polenta firms up.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Add the meat sauce on top of the polenta.
- Add the mozzarella and Parmesan on top of the sauce.8 ounces Shredded mozzarella, ¼ cup Parmesan cheese
- Bake for about 5-10 minutes or until golden brown on top.
- If you like the top of the baked polenta to be even more browned and crisp, place under the broiler for 1-2 minutes after baking.
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