This is a casserole I made up the other day. It’s very simple and quite delicious.

It was loosely inspired by my mother’s “Tamale Pie,” which had a bit more of a Mexican flavor and used corn meal rather than polenta.

The “filling:”

1 lb ground beef (I bought very high quality, lean, grass fed beef)

1 onion diced

3 cloves garlic diced

1/2 tsp cumin

salt and pepper

Brown onion and garlic in a frying pan. Toss in ground beef, cumin, salt and pepper to taste.

Polenta:

3/4 cup polenta

1 cup of grated cheese–more or less to taste. I used an herb Monterey Jack but you can use any cheese you like really.

Cook polenta as directed on package. Add the cheese. Salt and pepper to taste

In a 8″ by 8″ square baking dish put the ground beef mixture on the bottom of the pan and then ladle the polenta on top of it. Bake until the polenta is browned.

This turned out to be a delightful comfort food. It made me feel like I was 5 years old eating kid food, but it was delicious and wholesome having used all organic ingredients.