Polenta, Asparagus and Ham Bake

There’s a slew of ideas of what to do with leftover food and this recipe makes use of two ingredients I had leftover: ham and homemade polenta. Use leftover food  in a stir-fry, soup, Shepherd’s pie, chili, curry or stew.  You should be able to keep leftover food in the refrigerator for up to 3 days and remember that hot foods should be refrigerated as soon as possible (within two hours after cooking).

Serves 4
recipe adapted from Busy Cooks
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16 oz. package prepared polenta
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
10 oz. Alfredo sauce (homemade or purchased)
2 cups chopped asparagus or whole pieces
1 cup cooked ham, chopped
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 425f. Slice polenta into 1/2″ slices. In large skillet, combine olive oil and butter and heat over medium heat. When butter melts, add half of the polenta slices; cook until well browned on one side, then turn and cook on second side (about 5-7 minutes). Drain on paper towels.

Arrange browned polenta in a greased 8″ square glass baking dish. Top with asparagus pieces and ham. Spoon sauce over casserole and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until casserole is bubbling and cheese begins to brown.

The Culinary Chase’s Note:  This was delicious and made good use of food in my fridge.