20-Minute Italian Polenta

By gwendee1

Craving comfort food? Reach for precooked polenta—cornmeal that's been simmered until it's thick and creamy, then cooled to firm it up. Try it tonight as a lower-cal, lower-carb alternative to pasta, topped with chunky meat sauce. Add steamed broccoli or a salad, and dinner's done.

Ingredients

• 1 lb pre-cooked polenta roll
• 3/4 c shredded Italian cheese blend
• 1/2 lb lean ground beef
• 2 c chunky pasta sauce

Preparation

Step 1

1. HEAT a bit of oil in a large nonstick grill pan or skillet over medium-high heat.
2. CUT polenta into 12 slices. Cook slices until lightly browned on both sides, about 15 minutes. Remove pan from heat and sprinkle polenta with ½ cup cheese. Cover with a lid or foil to melt the cheese.
3. MEANWHILE, brown beef in another pan. Add pasta sauce, heat through, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Put the sauce on 4 plates. Top with the polenta and sprinkle with ¼ cup of cheese.

NUTRITION (per serving) 297 cal, 21 g pro, 26 g carb, 1.4 g fiber, 5.5 g sugars, 12.5 g fat, 5 g sat fat, 665 mg sodium