| Level: | Intermediate |
| Total: | 8 hr 15 min |
| Active: | 1 hr |
| Yield: | 8 servings |
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter, plus more for greasing the pan
- 1 cup polenta
- Kosher salt
- 1 cup grated Parmesan
- 5 cups Slow-Cooker Bolognese, recipe follows
- 12 slices provolone
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 celery stalks, chopped
- 2 carrots, chopped
- 2 onions, chopped
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 6 cloves garlic, chopped
- One 6-ounce can tomato paste
- 1 cup dry red wine
- 4 pounds ground beef
- 2 cups whole milk
- Two 28-ounce cans crushed tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 1 tablespoon dried basil
- 2 teaspoons dried thyme
- 2 teaspoons red pepper flakes
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 Parmesan rind, optional
Instructions
- Grease a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with butter. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Put 4 cups of water into a pot and set over medium-high heat. Slowly whisk in the polenta so no lumps form. Add a big pinch of salt. Cook, stirring often, until the mixture comes to a boil. Lower the heat and cook according to the package directions. When it is finished, stir in the butter and 1/4 cup of the Parmesan.
- Spread a cup of the Slow-Cooker Bolognese in the bottom of the prepared baking pan. Add half the polenta and spread it evenly over the sauce. Add a layer of 6 slices provolone and 3/4 cup mozzarella, then top with 2 cups of the sauce. Make another layer with the remaining polenta. Top with the remaining provolone, 3/4 cup mozzarella and remaining sauce. Sprinkle over the rest of the mozzarella and Parmesan.
- Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and continue baking until the cheese is browned and bubbling, about 15 minutes more. Let rest for 20 minutes before serving.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the celery, carrots and onions, season with salt and pepper and cook until softened, about 10 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add the tomato paste and cook for a minute. Pour in the red wine and cook until it is mostly evaporated, about 3 minutes. Pour this mixture into a slow cooker.
- Pour the remaining 2 tablespoons oil into the skillet, add the beef and season with salt and pepper. Cook, breaking up any lumps, until it is nicely browned, about 15 minutes. Drain off any excess fat. Stir in the milk and cook until it is mostly absorbed by the meat, about 5 minutes. Add this to the slow cooker along with the tomatoes, oregano, basil, thyme, red pepper flakes, nutmeg and Parmesan rind if using. Add some salt. Give it a good stir, cover and cook on low for 6 hours.
- Skim off any fat on top and check the consistency. If it is too thick, add a bit of water. If it is too thin, cook for another 30 minutes with the cover off.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 8 servings |
| Calories | 1230 |
| Total Fat | 81 g |
| Saturated Fat | 36 g |
| Carbohydrates | 48 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 8 g |
| Sugar | 18 g |
| Protein | 72 g |
| Cholesterol | 241 mg |
| Sodium | 1700 mg |
Reviews
As noted, the Bolognese is enough for 16 servings. I used 2 pounds of cubed beef chuck browned and one pound of ground pork, and still had plenty of leftover sauce. I cooked the sauce in an Instant Pot for 80 minutes with 20 minutes natural release. I then hit it quickly with an immersion blender to break up the chuck and some of the vegetables. I used some stock and chopped fresh rosemary in the polenta. Most recipes like this I usually cook the polenta and spread it in a sheet tray to chill and firm up to use as the layers. If assembled immediately, it is important simmer the polenta long enough to absorb most of the liquid, and to let the dish rest after cooking to firm up a little before eating. It is a nice change of pace from traditional lasagna or noodle dishes. Also good with added sliced and cooked mushrooms either layered or in the sauce. Dish without changes is still very good, but I like to do things to personal taste.
The constancy was the issue. It came out like lasagna mash potatoes. Not my favorite. The sauce was good would possibly make it again because it was nice and easy in the crockpot.
I thought this was the best lasagna I ever had. (My husband thought it had too much thyme.)
This was AMAZING! That sauce was worth every minute making it, and we had enough left to freeze for a big meal of spaghetti. I used 3 cups of corn meal, made it thick, then poured into a jelly roll pan and smoothed it out. Put it in fridge for 1/2 hour. Then I cut in half and I could layer it right into the casserole. My casserole dish was an 11”x14” oval for 10-12 servings. I didn’t have enough mozzarella so made up the difference with marble cheese. The three of us all loved it❣️
Really good flavor
I love polenta and regular lasagna, combining both is outstanding idea. ❤️
We weren’t a big fan of the polenta. However, the sauce is excellent & will use for other pasta dishes. I only used half the polenta (because that’s what I had) & it was plenty in a 11 x 7 baker. It also made a huge mess on the stovetop. I used all the other amounts the same as in the recipe. I also used 1 cup half & half and 1 cup whole milk for the milk portion. Excellent sauce just wish I had made lasagna rollups instead…
My wife and 7-year-old daughter beg for this dish on a regular basis. We also love the bolognese recipe for other uses, mainly spaghetti sauce.
I made this for dinner a couple of nights ago and while the flavor of the bolognese was amazing the dish itself was disappointing. I had never made polenta before so I blame myself as I don’t think I cooked it long enough so the overall dish was not as firm as I was expecting. So the key to success has to be to cook the polenta until VERY firm!
My family absolutely loved this dish! I put all the bolognese sauce ingredients right into the slow cooker without cooking anything ahead (except the milk which I added at the end). Make sure you cook the polenta to very firm before you assemble the lasagna. Magical.