This delicious vegetarian lasagna is made with layers of polenta, cheeses, peppers, spinach and marinara sauce for a perfect gluten-free lasagna casserole on chilly nights.
Make the polenta ahead of time, or use store-bought polenta to make this super easy on a busy weeknight.
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Polenta is more versatile than you may think. We're all familiar with a cheesy polenta to use for toppings. But you can morph it into a polenta cake dessert, which is super easy and delicious. Or swap wheat noodles out in place of polenta layers in a lasagna.
❤️ Why you'll love this recipe
- It's gluten free.
- Use a big shortcut and use store-bought polenta in place of homemade.
- Use your own favorite veggies to make it perfect for your family.
- Totally kid-friendly.
🧅 Main Ingredients + Notes
For the all of the ingredients, measurements and directions, go to the Recipe Card at the bottom of this post.
Homemade Polenta
- Vegetable broth - I use Better Than Bouillon Vegetable Paste
- Mustard - Dijon or country mustard
- Cornmeal - either fine or medium gain
Lasagna Layers
- Yellow onion - white onion if fine too, but red onion is too sweet.
- Peppers - a combination of red and orange bell peppers, and poblano pepper.
- Baby spinach - I purchase pre-washed baby spinach in a plastic container or bag.
- Cheeses - a combination of chevre, ricotta, Parmesan and fontina on top. Use mozzarella on top, if you prefer it.
- Marinara sauce - make your own or purchased. When I purchase it, I use Rao's Marinara Sauce.
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🔪 Recommended Equipment
- Baking sheet - for the polenta
- Dutch oven or other heavy bottomed pot - for the polenta
- Medium sauté pan
- Small mixing bowl
- 8" X 8" casserole pan
📝 Instructions Overview
Detailed instructions for making this polenta lasagna are in the recipe card below, but here's a brief overview!
Step 1
Make the polenta. Skip this step if you're using store-bought polenta in a tube.
Step 2
Sauté. Sauté the onion and peppers. Add the baby spinach at the end, and stir to wilt.
Step 3
Cheese. Whisk together the cheeses except for the fontina.
Step 4
Layer. Layer the lasagna in a casserole dish with the marinara sauce. Top with fontina cheese.
Step 5
Bake. Bake for a total of 40 minutes.
⏰ Tips to Simplify and Save Time
- Purchase pre-made polenta, and thinly slice for the layers.
- Purchase the marinara sauce.
💡Ideas for Possible Variations
Use mozzarella cheese in place of fontina.
Add cooked beans for more protein, or add cooked plant-based crumbles such as available from Beyond Beef.
🍽 Side Dish Ideas
All you need is garlic bread and a simple leafy green salad.
📇 More Casseroles You Might Like
Creamy Feta and Asparagus Casserole
Cauliflower Tetrazzini with Poblanos
Cheesy Grits and Greens, which can be served as a casserole or separately.
Don't have time to run to the grocery store? Order the ingredients for this recipe using Instacart (affiliate link). Just click on the Instacart button in the recipe card below, and the ingredients will all be organized for you on their site. Plug in your zip code, choose the store you prefer, and select the ingredients you want delivered to your home.
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Cheesy Polenta 'Lasagna'
Equipment
- baking sheet
- Aluminum foil
- Dutch oven or other heavy-bottomed pot
- small mixing bowl
- 8" X 8" baking pan
Ingredients
Polenta
- 2 ¾ cups vegetable broth
- 1 teaspoon country Dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 cup polenta cornmeal or medium / fine cornmeal
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
Layers
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 cup diced yellow onion about ยฝ of a large onion
- 1 red pepper diced
- 1 orange pepper diced
- 1 poblano pepper diced
- 4 cups baby spinach
- ยผ cup chevre
- ยผ cup ricotta cheese
- ยผ cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 ⅓ cups your favorite marinara sauce
- 3 ounces sliced Fontina cheese
Instructions
Polenta
- Line a baking sheet with foil.
- Bring the broth to a simmer in a heavy pot and gradually stir in the mustard, salt, and polenta / cornmeal. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer the polenta, stirring often, until it's thick and not crunchy to the bite, about 20 minutes. There will be texture to the polenta, but it should be soft. Stir in the butter and pour the polenta onto the prepared baking sheet. Smooth it out using the back of a metal spoon and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
Layers
- Preheat the oven to 350˚F.
- Heat the olive oil in a sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and peppers, and sauté until softened, about 20 minutes. Stir in the baby spinach until wilted.
- Whip the chèvre, ricotta and Parmesan together in a small bowl using a fork.
- Remove the polenta from the refrigerator and slice in half. Smear a little marinara sauce on the bottom of an 8" X 8" baking pan and lay one of the polenta halves on top.
- Spread half of the cheese mixture over the polenta and cover with half of the pepper mixture. Spread half of the remaining marinara sauce over the top.
- Repeat with a layer of polenta, cheese mixture, peppers and sauce. Top with slices of fontina cheese.
- Cover the baking pan with foil, being sure not to touch the fontina cheese, and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake an additional 10 minutes or until bubbly.
Rita Held
OMG Susan. Are you trying to make me fat??! This looks and sounds dee-licious! Seriously.
Jane, The Heritage Cook
What a fabulous main course for our Progressive Dinner Susan! And I especially love it because it is gluten-free! Yee Haw! ๐ I can't wait to give this a try and I know it will be a mainstay for our "cooler" months (and I use that term loosely this year!). Brava on your first month and stepping up to the plate so quickly!
Liz
Thank you so much for hosting us with this fabulous theme, Susan! Yeah, I'm happy to skip the skiing, park myself by the fire and eat a big helping of your splendid lasagna!
Viviana
I love polentaยดs versatility and you honor it with your amazing recipe, liked specially adding mustard to the broth, must give it a distinctive flavour. Iยดm a great fan of polenta in every way (made a lemon polenta pudding last week!) so Iยดm saving this one for later!
Emma
What a great idea for lasagne! Also, great spin on the usual veggie spinach lasagne ๐
Jenni
What a fantastic theme, Susan! I'm not so much about the skiing, but I am all about the comfort food! Polenta + goat cheese + marinara + all the rest of the goodness? What a great main course! I'm so glad you're a part of the Progressive Eats group, and thank you for hosting your first month out! xo
Ansh
Thank you for a wonderful theme and for hosting us this month. Now if only I could reach out and get my share of lasagna from the screen. Looks incredibly good.
Lynda
This looks divine. I will don my t-shirt and flip flops to make it. Luckily we got a bit of skiing in over xmas!
lizthechef
This looks yummy - but I share your feeling about the weather. We got a shower yesterday, pretty much the only rain we have had all month...
Wendy Read
I am so going to make this! I have printed this and have everything here at the house, so excited! Love polenta. Gorgeous pics as well!
Barbara @ Barbara Bakes
Thanks for picking such a fun theme. Your lasagna looks like the perfect main dish to warm up with after a day on the slopes.
TerriSue
I love polenta. This looks fantastic!
Tiffany @ Triple Crรจme Decadence
You had me at cheesy! This looks incredibly comforting and I love your addition of swiss chard!
Jeanette | Jeanette's Healthy Living
This sounds and looks so good, I wish I could just dig into the screen and grab a bite. Thanks for hosting our Progressive Dinner this month!
Lana | Never Enough Thyme
We love polenta but I often forget how many ways it can be used! Like this absolutely incredible sounding lasagna. Oh my word, I don't ski but I'd come to the party just for a taste of this!
Suzanne
Sounds like a fun group Susan and I love your lasagna, using polenta for the layers is brilliant. It had to be so delicious, Did you get your snow? Maybe your prayers to the snow Gods were for the wrong city, we got slammed in Brooklyn and snow is only pretty for a minute here.
cheri
Hi Susan, Lake Tahoe is such a beautiful place, envy you this time of year. Love this lasagna, the use of polenta sounds delicious!
Choc Chip Uru
Your polenta lasagna is a fantastic idea, delicious recipe ๐
I can't wait to try swiss chard again!
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
Alana@Sweets Occasions
My mouth is watering! Looks super yummy.
GiGi Eats
THAT SAUCE is captivating!!! I need it in my next meal!
Dana @ Foodie Goes Healthy
I love this idea. I have been looking for a way to jazz up polenta, and this is perfect. Love the virtual progressive party too, great fun!
kiano
I've been needing new ways to prepare polenta!
kiano
Iโve been needing new ways to prepare polenta!
Nutmeg Nanny
I love that you used polenta in this dish. What a delicious twist.
Laura @MotherWouldKnow
I've had a delicious version of polenta lasagna at a friend's house, but never made it myself. Your version looks so enticing. I can't imagine anything more satisfying on a wintry evening. (While you're complaining about too much heat and sun, we're in a cold snap on the East Coast, so I'm all for a hot casserole right now.)
amanda @ fake ginger
I am with you about the weather. We've usually got snow every couple days in January but we beat our record high yesterday with 67! Craaaaazy.
These look so delicious! I don't cook polenta often enough, totally want to make this!
Mila
That lasagna looks very tasty and sooo cheesy! using polenta in it is something interesting! ๐
Barb | Creative Culinary
This looks amazing; nothing wimpy here!
Great theme and perfect timing too; who knew snow would create a ski trip ambiance for so many?
So glad you've joined Progressive Eats and thanks for jumping right in and hosting. I owe you!
Norma Chang
A wonderfully delicious and comforting gluten-free dish.
I will be more than happy to send you our snow, it been snow on top of snow and more is predicted.
Oui, Chef
Sorry, I guess we've stolen all of Tahoe's snow here in Boston. Would you like to have some of it back? ๐ I'll trade you some for some of this gorgeous lasagna!
cathy branciaroli
I love chard -- this looks great Susan!
Liz
Thanks for the recipe! I find I don't cook enough with polenta, but I always enjoy it when I do.
Scott Williamss
This lasagna was delicious and had such unique ingredients . What kind of camera did you use for these awesome photos?
The Wimpy Vegetarian
I'm so glad you enjoyed it! I used a Canon Rebel for the photos - thanks very much for the compliment ๐