Side Dishes

This fun polenta pizza fuses baked polenta with pizza, and, to give it another twist, it's topped with delicious Mexican flavors.

Ingredients
  • 1 cup cornmeal
  • 3 cups skim milk
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 5 ounces lean ground beef
  • 1 1/2 cup red chile sauce 
  • 1 cup Mexican shredded cheese blend, plus more for sprinkling on top
  • 1 cup shredded lettuce, or to taste
  • 1 tomato, diced, or to taste
  • 2 tablespoons sliced pitted black olives, or to taste
  • 2 tablespoons sour cream, or to taste
Step By Step Method
  1. Stir cornmeal, milk, and salt together in a medium saucepan, and cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a boil and thickens enough to pull away from the sides of the pan, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the olive oil. Spread on a greased cookie sheet. Cool in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
  2. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
  3. Bake polenta crust in the preheated oven for 10 to 15 minutes.
  4. Meanwhile, heat a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, and cook and stir ground beef in the hot skillet until browned and crumbly, 5 to 7 minutes. Pour in red chile sauce, and simmer until thickened, about 10 minutes.
  5. Top polenta crust with meat sauce and cheese. Return to the oven; bake until cheese is melted, 10 to 12 minutes more.
  6. Top with lettuce, tomato, black olives, and sour cream. Sprinkle with additional shredded cheese, if desired.