This mouthwatering polenta beef casserole from Slavonia is packed with hidden health benefits to endure those long winter months yet light enough to enjoy all summer too!
This comfort meal is made with ground beef, cornmeal, savoy cabbage, carrots, and more!
If you’re turning up your nose at cabbage or polenta, humor me please and make this casserole once.
It might not turn you into a cabbage or polenta lover, but you will love this casserole. I guarantee it!
📋Why Make This Recipe
- For starters, who doesn't like casseroles, amirite?
- It's the ultimate fall comfort food you can also enjoy all summer long.
- Your picky eaters will get their vegetable intake because they won't know they're hidden in this casserole.
- This casserole with polenta and beef is easy to make ahead, healthy, and it feeds a crowd!
- It's nourishing.
- It's lower in carbs than traditional pasta or rice casseroles.
- Polenta is gluten-free and an excellent source of complex carbohydrates and protein.
- Polenta is low in fat, rich in Vitamin A and C, and high in beta-carotene.
- Cabbage provides fiber, vitamins A, C, K, and B6 plus calcium, magnesium, and iron, to name a few.
- With all those health benefits, what’s not to love?
This sneaky Slavonian polenta casserole with beef will have you wonder: what in the heck is a Slavonian casserole, and why is it sneaky?
Slavonia is a region in Croatia (Europe) from where this recipe is originated. Hence, I’m bringing you a taste of my homeland.
But you’re from Bosnia, I hear you say. True, I wasn't born in Croatia, but both countries belonged to Yugoslavia long before I was born.
For a larger part of my life, and before they separated, that was my home. I still feel equally connected to them all.
Now to the second question: why is it sneaky? You’ll love this…wait for it…there is a whole head of savoy cabbage hiding in this casserole!
Besides, the flavor combination in this polenta beef casserole is fantastic!
🛒Ingredients and Notes
For the polenta layer:
For the meat sauce:
For the béchamel sauce:
Centuries ago, polenta was thought peasant food because it was plentiful and inexpensive and a good winter diet staple when other food was limited.
🔪Step by Step Instructions
Make the polenta and cabbage layer - prep all the vegetables. Cook the shredded savoy cabbage in water; combine cornmeal with water. Add the wet cornmeal to the pan with cabbage; cook until the mixture thickens.
Make the meat sauce - sauté the onions, carrots, and celery. Add the ground beef and seasonings and cook until the meat is no longer pink. Mix in the wine and tomatoes; cook a bit longer.
Make the béchamel sauce - Add the flour to melted butter and cook, constantly stirring, until the paste cooks and bubbles. Whisk in milk and continue to stir until sauce thickens — season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg.
Assemble - Pour polenta into a greased casserole dish. Add the layer of meat sauce and finish with béchamel sauce. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and parsley; bake.
Can I make the béchamel sauce gluten-free?
Why yes, yes, you can! Use GF flour instead of all-purpose flour or cornstarch (for Americans, cornflour for the rest of the world) to make the béchamel sauce.
If using cornstarch for gluten-free casserole version:
- Once the butter is melted, take the pan off the heat.
- Whisk in 1 tablespoon cornstarch (always use half of what the recipe calls for all-purpose flour).
- Add half of the milk and whisk vigorously until you have a thickish consistency.
- Put the pan back over the heat. Add the remaining milk bit by bit, stirring all the time.
- Cook until the sauce thickens. Season with spices.
Wondering what the difference is between cornstarch, cornmeal, corn flour, and polenta? It's all laid out for you in this corn pie recipe post.
Polenta cooks fast on the stovetop, in a slow cooker, instant pot, or rice cooker, it's economical and a great binder in casseroles, soups, scrambles, etc.
💗More Related Recipes to Try
- Chilean Corn Shepherd's Pie
- Paraguayan Cheese and Onion Cornbread
- Traditional Bosnian Polenta
- Italian Apple and Fig Polenta Torta
Liked this recipe? Leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating in the recipe card below and/or a review in the comments section. Your feedback is always appreciated! Stay in touch through Pinterest, Instagram, and Facebook! Don't forget to sign up for my email list below too!
Slavonian Polenta Beef Casserole
Equipment
- Baking dish
- saucepan
Ingredients
For polenta
- 3 cups water divided
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1 cup yellow cornmeal
- 1 small head savoy cabbage, thinly shredded about 1 lbs
For meat sauce
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 onion diced
- 1 carrot coarsely grated
- 1 celery stalk chopped
- 1 lb. ground beef
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 tablespoon fresh or dried parsley plus more for garnish
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 1 tablespoon fresh or dried basil
- 1 pinch allspice optional
- ½ cup dry red wine
- 8 oz. crushed tomatoes
- Salt and pepper to taste
For the béchamel sauce:
- 2 tablespoon butter
- 2 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1 ¼ cup milk
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Dash of nutmeg
- ½ cup parmesan cheese
Instructions
- In a large saucepan bring 2 cups of water and 1 tablespoon salt to a boil. Add 1 small head of shredded savoy cabbage and simmer on medium-low heat for 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet. Sauté 1 diced onion, 1 grated carrot, and 1 chopped celery stalk until vegetables are softened, about 5 minutes. Add 1 pound ground beef and seasonings (¼ teaspoon nutmeg, 1 tablespoon parsley, 1 tablespoon dried oregano, 1 tablespoon basil, and a pinch of allspice) and cook until meat is no longer pink. Mix in ½ cup dry red wine and 8oz. crushed tomatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes.
- In a small bowl, combine 1 cup cornmeal with 1 cup water until all cornmeal is wet (prevents it from clumping up). Add the wet cornmeal to the pan with cabbage (do not drain the cabbage) and swiftly whisk it to combine. Immediately lower the heat and cook, stirring often, until the mixture thickens, about 20-30 minutes. Remove from the heat.
- In a small saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons butter. Stir in 2 tablespoons flour and cook, stirring constantly, until the paste cooks and bubbles, about two minutes. Don’t let it brown. Add 1 ¼ cups milk and continue to stir until sauce thickens. Season with salt and pepper to taste and a dash of nutmeg.
- Pour polenta (cooked cornmeal) into a greased casserole dish. Add the layer of meat sauce and finish with béchamel sauce. Sprinkle with ½ cup of parmesan cheese and some chopped fresh parsley.
- Bake on 375 degrees Fahrenheit preheated oven for 20 minutes. Let cool before serving. Serving suggestion: serve with a cold glass of your favorite beer.
Expert Tips
- See the post for how to make the béchamel sauce gluten free.
- You can easily reheat the casserole in the microwave.
- This casserole is also freezable!
Nutrition
NOTE: This post was originally published in 2016 and has been updated for photos and content.
You had me at bechamel sauce. It's my FAVORITE sauce in the world so I would definitely like this Slavonian Polenta Beef Casserole! This dish reminds me of a Greek casserole called pastichio which I LOVE. Such a comforting recipe that would be perfect to make ahead for a busy school night!
Thanks, Aleka! Is your pastichio the same as pastitsio - Greek pasta casserole? It has loads of bechamel sauce and it's super delicious and substantial.
So hearty, so delicious, and love that there is a (sneaky) WHOLE head of cabbage in here! I can't wait to make this again... it was so easy, and everyone loved it.
Thank you, Candice! Definitely a dish that's on repeat at our house 🙂
I happen to love both cabbage and polenta, so this will definitely be my favorite. Now I just have to keep the secret until the haters finish eating their share. 😀
Yeah, don't tell them and they'll never know what hit them, lol.
Wow does this look like a comfort food casserole! Perfect for our midwestern family!
Thank you, Deanne! Us midwesterners love comfort food! 🙂
That looks so pretty and sounds deliciously comforting. I'm not sure that I'd manage to sneak the cabbage past my kids (though they're not bad on veggies, really), but may be worth a try anyway!
Thanks, Caroline! Trust me, it's not even visible and you can't taste it either. My husband was completely fooled and he hates cabbage, lol.
Wow, those layers! Gorgeous! Loving all those veggies in that sauce too. My kind of comfort food!
It's one of my favorites. Thanks, Lisa!
What a cozy, comforting and delicious dish! The combination of flavors with the two sauces along with the polenta sounds incredible. Got to love all that sneaky deliciousness! 🙂
Thank you, Kim! Cozy is the word of the season and this casserole is just that! xx
This polenta beef casserole has got to be the definition of hearty comfort food! I love all of the rich, savory flavors you have in this recipe, and genius idea sneaking in some extra yummy veggies! My family would love this!
Thank you, Chelsey! It is super hearty but light at the same time, if that makes sense. 🙂
Jas, what a delicious looking casserole! We love polenta, I just make it and we add a beef sauce to it, but this would be a lovely way to have it! When I was little, my parents and I drove from Germany all the way to then Yugoslavia on summer vacation, we were in Podgora, it was the happiest family vacation we had!
Oh, wow! I like you know even more, ha! I'm so happy you have fond memories from beautiful home-country. And polenta was on our table often back in the days, with all kinds of toppings.
This looks really good, Jas! My husband and I love cabbage.
Thank you, Carol! I hope you'll give this recipe a try 🙂
Jas, this looks awesome!! We're cabbage eaters so I'm definitely going to try this!! Thanks for the recipe!!
Thank you, Keri! Hope your day is going great! Thanks for stopping in.
This looks really good!! Thanks for sharing on the What's for Dinner linky
Thanks for stopping in!
I loooove cabbage and I'm sure I'll love this! Thanks for sharing with us at Funtastic Friday!
Thank you, Angie! You won't regret if you make it 😀
Jas, I don't know about sneaky but I can tell that it has to be delicious. I know that cabbage when cooked becomes sweet and has a really great flavor so I can see where this would be a great dish. I'll have to try this. And of course the bechamel will just take it to another level. Yum! This has to be really great heartwarming food for the wintertime.
It is one comfort food for sure! Thanks for stopping in, Mary! Have a wonderful day!
We really love Moussaka. And this looks similar enough that I think I have to give it a try!
Thank you, Helene! I traditionally make moussaka with layers of potatoes, beef and rice (sometimes I add eggplants too) but this one tastes different. Very yummy in its own way 🙂 Thank you for stopping in. Hope you have a blessed day!
This is a very unique casserole recipe! I love cabbage and polenta, so I bet I would be a fan of it. Thank you for sharing the recipe at the #HomeMattersParty this week.
Thank you, Nicole! You won't be disappointed, especially that you already love the main ingredients 😀
Aha! Very sneaaaky and I love it! I think I can almost see you smirking when your husband took the 2nd helping. Hehehhehe!
I like cabbage and my kids not so much - but I've snuck up cabbages in their food and they did not even notice it. This gives me another alternative to stuff those good cabbages in their tummy. Any substitute for corn meal? Not that I would sub, I'm just wondering if I could get corn meal..or do you mean corn flour?
Yeah, I couldn't believe my eyes when he went for seconds, haha! Not sure what you could substitute cornmeal with but you should be able to find it there. It's called maïsmeel in Dutch. And when it's cooked it is also called polenta. โพเลนต้า in Thai 🙂
So here, corn starch (or flour as you call it) is really fine and white just like powder sugar and used to bind or thicken sauces and in cakes. Then we have corn flour, which is yellowish and has the texture off all-purpose flour. Then there's corn meal. You can get it in white or yellow and its texture is grainy, like sand. Hope that helps you getting the right product 🙂
Sjajno zvuce sastojci, a jos bolje izgleda na tvojim fotkama. Pozdrav za tebe Jas
Hvala Jasna! Stvarno je ukus super a nisam bas bila sigurna da ce valjati, haha. Pozdrav i tebi iz jesenje Indiane 🙂
Now that is rather sneaky and I quite like that!. Always trying to get my family to eat their veggies and cabbage unless it is slaw on an insanely huge cheeseburger is not gong to get a pass. However, your recipe is so unique like I have never tried before hiding under all the layers of the meat and sauces, I don't think my boys will even notice. Pinning, sharing, smoke signals sent! LOL Take care
Haha, I love the smoke signals! 😀 It's cooked together with polenta and you can't even notice it. If you don't like cornmeal texture, run through the whole mixture a few times with an immersion blender! XOXO