This mouthwatering baked polenta casserole with beef 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 recipe once.
It might not turn you into a savoy cabbage or polenta lover, but you will love this polenta casserole, I guarantee it!
This polenta pie is perfect for all seasons and is packed with nutrient-rich ingredients like ground beef, savoy cabbage, and carrots. Plus, its delicious flavor will have you coming back for more.
📃 Why it Works
- For starters, who doesn't like casseroles, amirite?
- It's the ultimate fall comfort food!
- Your picky eaters will get their vegetable intake because they won't know they are hidden in this recipe with polenta.
- An easy make-ahead meal!
- Nourishing.
- This baked polenta casserole is lower in carbs than traditional pasta or rice casseroles.
- Polenta pie is gluten-free and an excellent source of complex carbohydrates and protein.
- Polenta is low in fat, rich in vitamins A and C, and high in beta-carotene.
- Cabbage provides fiber, vitamins A, C, K, and B6, calcium, magnesium, and iron, to name a few.
🌍 Where Does This Casserole Originate From?
This sneaky Slavonian polenta pie casserole with beef will have you wondering: what in the heck is a Slavonian casserole, and why is it sneaky?
Slavonia is a region in Croatia (Europe) from where this recipe originated, hence I'm bringing you a taste of my homeland.
But you're from Bosnia, I hear you say. I wasn't born in Croatia, but both countries belonged to Yugoslavia long before I was born.
Before they separated, that was my home for a larger part of my life. I still feel equally connected to them all.
Now to the second question: why is this Croatian beef casserole sneaky? You'll love this…wait for it…there is a whole head of savoy cabbage hiding in the polenta layer!
Besides, the flavor combination in this polenta beef casserole is fantastic!
🛒 Ingredients and Notes
For the Polenta Layer: Centuries ago, polenta was considered peasant food because it was plentiful and inexpensive and a good winter diet staple when other food was limited. Cornmeal is affordable, and you only need to add salt and water to make polenta. Cabbage is added to the polenta layer to sneak in some veggies!
For the Meat Sauce: Crushed tomatoes, ground beef, olive oil, red wine, carrot, celery, onion, fresh herbs like parsley and basil, and ground spices like oregano, nutmeg, and all-spice round out this perfectly flavored meaty sauce.
For the Béchamel Sauce: A creamy layer of béchamel is the finishing touch that makes this casserole ultra-creamy and satisfying. You'll need milk, butter, Parmesan cheese, flour, nutmeg, salt, and black pepper.
🔪 How to Make Polenta Casserole with Beef
Prepare the Vegetables:
- Dice the onion. Coarsely grate the carrot, chop the celery stalk, and shred the cabbage. In a large saucepan, bring 2 cups of water and 1 tablespoon of salt to a boil.
- Add 1 small head of shredded savoy cabbage and simmer on medium-low heat for 20 minutes.
Prepare the Polenta:
- In a small bowl, combine 1 cup of cornmeal with 1 cup of water until all the cornmeal is wet. Add the damp cornmeal to the pan with the cabbage and swiftly whisk it together to combine.
Prepare the Meat Layer:
- Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet. Sauté the diced onion, grated carrot, and chopped celery stalk until the vegetables are softened.
- Add 1 pound of ground beef and seasonings and cook until the meat is no longer pink. Mix in the dry red wine and crushed tomatoes and cook, occasionally stirring, for 20 minutes.
- Immediately lower the heat and cook, often stirring, until the mixture thickens, about 20-30 minutes; remove from the heat.
Prepare the Béchamel Sauce:
- In a small saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons of butter. Stir in 2 tablespoons flour and cook, constantly stirring, until the paste cooks and bubbles, about two minutes. Don't let it brown.
- Add 1 ¼ cup milk and continue to stir until the sauce thickens. Season with salt and pepper to taste and a dash of nutmeg.
Put It All Together:
- 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 at 375 degrees Fahrenheit preheated oven for 20 minutes. Let cool before serving. Serving suggestion: serve with a cold glass of your favorite beer.
📝 NOTE: Looking for the FULL recipe to print? Find the complete list of ingredients and detailed instructions in the recipe card below.
👩🍳 Expert Tips
- 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.
- Be sure to stir the polenta consistently and often to prevent it from clumping.
- When adding the cornmeal to the cabbage, do not drain any water from the cabbage. This extra moisture that is exuded from the cabbage helps to give the polenta a creamier texture.
🍽️ Serving Suggestion
This casserole is a complete meal all in one! It has veggies, protein, and whole grains. It's an excellent dish to make for a dinner party, as it comfortably serves six. Serve with a light side salad and a glass of red wine!
🗄️Storage Instructions
Allow the casserole to cool before covering it and storing it in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. You can store the casserole directly in the baking dish, be sure to cover it with saran wrap or aluminum foil; reheat it in the microwave.
This polenta casserole also freezes well. Prepare it in a freezer-safe airtight container, and keep it in your freezer for up to 3 months.
When ready to enjoy, place in the oven to reheat at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 1 hour or until completely defrosted and warmed all the way through.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
Why yes, yes, you can! Use GF flour instead of all-purpose flour or cornstarch (for Americans, for the rest of the world is cornflour) to make the béchamel sauce.
Once the butter is melted, take the pan off the heat.
Whisk in 1 tablespoon of 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 and add the remaining milk bit by bit, stirring all the time.
Cook until the sauce thickens; season with spices.
It's all laid out for you in this corn pie recipe post. Cornmeal is ground and dried maize that comes in various consistencies, including fine, medium, and coarse.
Cornstarch is made from the endosperm of the corn kernel that is put through a fermenting process.
The starches inside the endosperm are then removed, rinsed, dried, and milled into a fine white powder known as cornstarch. It is naturally gluten-free and used as a thickening agent.
😋 Other Amazing 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 and/or a review in the comments section. Your feedback is always appreciated! 👋 Stay in touch through Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, and TikTok!
Polenta Beef Casserole (Slavonian Recipe)
Equipment
- Baking dish
- saucepan
- Skillet
Ingredients
For polenta
- 3 cups water divided
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1 cup yellow cornmeal
- 1 small head savoy cabbage (about 1 pound), thinly shredded
For the meat sauce
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 onion diced
- 1 carrot coarsely grated
- 1 celery stalk chopped
- 1 pound 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 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 ¼ cup milk
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Dash of nutmeg
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
Polenta Layer
- In a large saucepan, bring 2 cups of water and 1 tablespoon of salt to a boil. Add 1 small head of shredded savoy cabbage and simmer on medium-low heat 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 damp cornmeal to the pan with cabbage (do not drain the cabbage) and swiftly whisk it to combine.
- Immediately lower the heat and cook, often stirring, until the mixture thickens, about 20-30 minutes. Remove from the heat.
Meat Layer
- 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 8 ounces crushed tomatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes.
Béchamel Sauce
- In a small saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons of butter. Stir in 2 tablespoons flour and cook, stirring, until the paste cooks and bubbles, about two minutes. Don’t let it brown.
- Gradually add 1 ¼ cups milk and continue to stir until the sauce thickens. Season with salt and pepper to taste and a dash of nutmeg.
Assemble
- Preheat oven to 375° Fahrenheit.
- 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 in preheated oven on the middle rack for 20 minutes; let cool for 15 minutes before serving.
Expert Tips
- 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.
- Be sure to stir the polenta consistently and often to prevent it from clumping.
- When adding the cornmeal to the cabbage, do not drain any water from the cabbage. This extra moisture helps to give the polenta a creamier texture.
- See the FAQs section in the post for how to make the béchamel sauce gluten-free.
- You can easily reheat the casserole in the microwave.
- Please keep in mind that nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary significantly based on the products used.
- Keep leftovers refrigerated in an airtight container for up to four days.
- This casserole is also freezable!
Nutrition
NOTE: This post was originally published in 2016 and has been updated for photos and content.
Alexandra Shunk says
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!
Jas says
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.
Candice says
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.
Jas says
Thank you, Candice! Definitely a dish that's on repeat at our house 🙂
Anita says
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. 😀
Jas says
Yeah, don't tell them and they'll never know what hit them, lol.
Deanne says
Wow does this look like a comfort food casserole! Perfect for our midwestern family!
Jas says
Thank you, Deanne! Us midwesterners love comfort food! 🙂