Polenta with Roasted Red Peppers and Fontina Cheese

A simple, yet satisfying dish. Slices of ready-to-use polenta are baked in a roasted red pepper and tomato sauce, topped with fontina cheese.

Recipe Ingredients:

1 (16-ounce) can whole tomatoes
1/2 tablespoon olive oil
3 large red peppers, for roasting
1 (16-ounce) tube ready-to-use polenta
1 1/2 cups Wisconsin Fontina cheese, shredded

Cooking Directions:

1. Drain tomatoes, reserving liquid. Heat olive oil in a large skillet. Add tomatoes, gently breaking into 1/2 inch pieces with a wooden spoon. Allow tomatoes to gently simmer over low-medium heat while gradually adding the reserved liquid.
2. While tomatoes are simmering, place whole red bell peppers on a foil-lined baking sheet.
3. Bake in a preheated oven at 425°F (220°C) for about 15 minutes.
4. With tongs, gently turn the roasting peppers and return to the oven for another 15 minutes. Keep doing this until the peppers are brownish-black on the outside and sizzling.
5. Remove from the oven and immediately put in a brown paper bag and close tightly. This allows the peppers to steam which makes the removal of the skin easier. Wait 15 minutes, and remove peppers from the bag onto a cutting board. Remove the charred skins, the stem and the seeds. Do not rinse the roasted peppers, as much of the flavor is in the juice.
6. Slice the roasted peppers into 1/4 inch strips and add peppers to the simmering tomatoes and juice.
7. Place 1/4 cup of the tomato/roasted pepper sauce in a 13x9 inch baking dish.
8. Slice the ready-to-use polenta into 1/2 inch rounds and arrange in the baking dish. Gently ladle the remaining sauce over the polenta. Sprinkle with Fontina cheese.
9. Bake in a preheated oven at 350°F (175°C) for 25 minutes. Serve immediately.

Makes 6 servings.

Recipe provided courtesy of Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board, Inc.