Baked Polenta, plus Beef and Sausage Ragu

This baked polenta dish is made with a rich and flavourful beef and sausage ragu then is topped with creamy polenta and baked in the oven. A good comfort food dish to keep you warm this winter.

This time of year is all about comfort food, easy, good, hearty food that keeps you feeling cozy when it's bitterly cold outside and this baked polenta and beef and sausage ragu does exactly that. Polenta is so easy to make, it's creamy and smooth and can be eaten as it is or left to go firm then grilled or baked.

We love a big bowl of creamy and comforting polenta with a stew that's been simmering away all afternoon. You can add any good melting cheese to polenta with butter and it tastes pretty much like heaven and it's a great alternative to mashed potatoes.

For this recipe, we made the polenta with parmesan and butter then poured it into a baking tray to firm up. We then cut it into rounds and added it on top of an insanely good beef and sausage ragu.

It's baked in the oven which creates a lovely crunchy, crust on top of the baked polenta yet keeping it soft and creamy on the inside. The ragu is rich and good and goes perfectly with the polenta on top.

How to make Beef and Sausage Ragu

Finely chop the carrot, onion, celery and garlic. Add everything apart from the garlic to a large pan with the olive oil and saute gently for around 6-7 minutes until the veg is soft but not browned.

Add the beef mince, sausage meat removed from their skins and garlic to the pan and brown the meat. If a lot of fat comes out of the sausages, spoon some of the excess out.

Once browned add the wine and let it reduce by half. Then add the passata/pureed tomatoes with a couple tbsp of water and a good pinch of salt and pepper.

Stir the ragu so everything is combined and let it simmer gently, covered for 1 and a half to 2 hours. If the sauce reduces too much top it up with a little water.

How To Make Baked Polenta

While the ragu is simmering, make the polenta.

Bring 4 cups (1 litre) of water to a boil, add a good pinch of salt to the water. Pour the polenta into the water whilst constantly stirring. Turn the heat down to medium/low and keep stirring until the polenta becomes thick and smooth.

Turn off the heat and add the butter and parmesan cheese, stir it into the polenta until melted. Check if it needs more seasoning and add accordingly.

Pour the polenta onto a large baking tray and smooth it out. Let it cool then place in the fridge until the ragu is ready.

When the ragu is ready, preheat the oven to 180°C/350F/gas mark 4.

Transfer the ragu to a large baking dish. Remove the polenta from the fridge and cut out rounds using a cookie cutter or glass or cut it into strips and place them on top of the ragu.

Bake in the oven for 30 minutes. The polenta will be slightly crunchy on top and the ragu bubbling, let it cool for 5 minutes then serve.

More Comfort Food Meals To Try

• Pizzoccheri pasta with potatoes and cabbage
• Tuscan farro soup with beans
• Broccoli rabe ricotta gnudi with parmesan cream
• Parmigiana di melanzane (eggplant parmigana)
• Tuscan bean stew with sausages

Ingredients

Makes 4 - 6 people

For the ragu

• 1 carrot
• 1 onion
• 1 stalk celery
• 2 garlic cloves
• 15 oz (430g) beef mince
• 2 Italian sausages (,not spicy)
• 3 1/4 cups (750g) pureed tomatoes/passata
• 1/2 cup (125ml) red wine
• salt and pepper (,to season)
• 1 tbsp of olive oil

For the polenta

• 1 cup (165g) fast action polenta
• 4 cups (1 litre) water
• salt
• 1.7 oz (50g) butter
• 1 tbsp parmesan (,freshly grated)

Method

1. Finely chop the carrot, onion, celery and garlic. Add everything apart from the garlic to a large pan with the olive oil and saute gently for around 6-7 minutes until the veg is soft but not browned.

2. Add the beef mince, sausage meat removed from their skins and garlic to the pan and brown the meat. If a lot of fat comes out of the sausages, spoon some of the excess out.

3. Once browned add the wine and let it reduce by half. Then add the passata/pureed tomatoes with a couple tbsp of water and a good pinch of salt and pepper.

4. Stir the ragu so everything is combined and let it simmer gently, covered for 1 and a half to 2 hours. If the sauce reduces too much top it up with a little water.

5. While the ragu is simmering, make the polenta.

6. Bring 4 cups (1 litre) of water to a boil, add a good pinch of salt to the water. Pour the polenta into the water whilst constantly stirring. Turn the heat down to medium/low and keep stirring until the polenta becomes thick and smooth.

7. Turn off the heat and add the butter and parmesan cheese, stir it into the polenta until melted. Check if it needs more seasoning and add accordingly.

8. Pour the polenta onto a large baking tray and smooth it out. Let it cool then place in the fridge until the ragu is ready.

9. When the ragu is ready preheat the oven to 180°C/350F/gas mark 4.

10. Transfer the ragu into a large baking dish. Remove the polenta from the fridge and cut out rounds using a cookie cutter or glass or cut it into strips and place them on top of the ragu.

11. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes. The polenta will be slightly crunchy on top and the ragu bubbling, let it cool for 5 minutes then serve.