Italian-Style Beef with Polenta

This hearty meat sauce with cheesy polenta is a nice change from spaghetti.

Yield: Serves 4
Total: 40 Minutes
Ingredients:
1 cup dry coarse-ground polenta
1 teaspoon dried oregano
Dash of kosher salt
2 cups water
1 cup 2% reduced-fat milk
3/4 cup (3 ounces) grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, divided
Cooking spray
1 pound ground sirloin
1 cup chopped onion
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups lower-sodium marinara sauce (such as McCutcheon's)
1/2 cup torn fresh basil

Preparation:
1. Place first 3 ingredients in a large saucepan. Gradually add 2 cups water and milk, stirring constantly with a whisk. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium, and cook 20 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in 1/3 cup cheese.
2. Heat a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat; coat with cooking spray. Add beef; sauté 5 minutes. Stir to crumble. Remove beef; drain. Wipe pan; coat with cooking spray. Add onion, pepper, 1/8 teaspoon salt, and garlic; sauté for 4 minutes, stirring frequently. Add beef and sauce; simmer 8 minutes.
3. Divide polenta evenly among 4 shallow bowls. Top each serving with 1 cup beef mixture; sprinkle with 2 teaspoons cheese and 2 tablespoons basil.

Nutritional Information:
Calories: 487
Fat: 15.5g
Saturated fat: 7.2g
Monounsaturated fat: 5.3g
Polyunsaturated fat: 0.6g
Protein: 29.3g
Carbohydrate: 80.9g
Fiber: 5g
Cholesterol: 73mg
Iron: 3.2mg
Sodium: 695mg
Calcium: 266mg