Have you heard of Lamb Jam? Me neither until about a month ago. The B man saw some advertisement online and immediately signed us up. I’ve already shared his intense bordering on extreme love of lamb. If you need a refresher you can check it out in the Lamb Meatball post. Anyway, back to Lamb Jam. It’s basically a bunch of chefs within a given city or area, with their best dishes, having a lamb-off. It moves around to many cities in the US and a winner from each city is chosen. Then they go on to the finals and compete in NYC for the title of “Lamb Jam Master.”
Sunday at the Boston Lamb Jam, a bunch of well-known chefs from restaurants in the New England area showed up with their best lamb dish. We’re talking anything from Asian Spicy Lamb Siopao, to Mexican Lamb tacos, to Mediterranean Lamb burgers.? They all had stations around the perimeter of the room and you walk around sampling all the goods. Each person is given a ballet form and at the end of all your grazing, you mark your favorite chef’s creation and stuff it in a very official locked ballet box.
Let me tell you it was a lamb lover’s dream! And a beer lover’s dream as well…I failed to mention the very large beer & cider station set up in the center of the room. Beer brewers from all over the New England area showed up and were pouring their best ales.? Beer and lamb – what more could a girl ask for?? Well, maybe a nice cabernet or a Lemon Drop martini... but beer has its place and apparently it’s at Lamb Jam.✌
As you can imagine it was a packed room for sure, but we prevailed and sampled some of the tastiest lamb dishes I’ve had – other than my own that is.? I understand some people don’t care for its flavor, or the fact that this fluffy animal lost its life to sustain others but to that I say, “comme ci comme ça,” “to each their own,” and “que sera, sera.” Not really, I usually just say – “you do you.”
And that’s what I said to the 30 protestors standing outside the hotel with signs saying “meat is murder.” Again I jest, I didn’t speak to them, but I wanted to. And I would have said “you do you” if given the chance.
I would have also said that if “meat is murder” (message on their signs) than so is ripping that head of lettuce out of the ground and snagging that tomato off the vine but we still do it. I know, it’s different, but let’s all just focus more on ourselves and less on each other. #peaceloveandlambgrease.
Speaking of focus – let’s take a minute and focus on today’s amazingly delicious – you guessed it - LAMB recipe. It’s hearty, cheesy, super tasty, quick to make and it’s called Lamb Lasagna With Parmesan Polenta!
First we make some of my parmesan polenta. This is a staple in the Taste And See kitchen and I use it regularly for my starch instead of potatoes, for example with my Veal Osso Bucco. It is cheesy and the perfect base for this lamb masterpiece. It’s a quick recipe to make – like 15 minutes tops. You actually spread the cheesy goodness evenly into a 9 by 13 baking dish and let it rest. This will be the base of the lasagna and take the place of the noodles. Did I mention this is also gluten free?
On a side note you could also buy a tube of premade polenta if you want to cut down on the cook time and work involved. I found it to be very expensive ($12.99 for this recipe), compared to the instant polenta I use at $2.99.? Of course, if you make my recipe you have to also purchase a little Parmesan but it’s still way cheaper than buying the premade version. #notsayingjustsaying #youdoyou
Next, you sauté some chopped onions and garlic in an oiled heated pan, add in your ground lamb and spices, then the diced tomatoes, parsley and parmesan cheese when the lamb is fully cooked. Simmer for 5 more minutes, skim off some of the fat that is pooling around the top edges of the pan, and then pour the mixture evenly over the polenta. Top it with 3 cups of shredded mozzarella cheese and bake it for 20-30 minutes, until it’s bubbling around the edges.♨
I think it’s a lot easier than traditional lasagna and I absolutely LOVE the flavor. The creamy and cheesiness of the polenta add another dimension of flavor and texture that truly is amazing. If lamb is not your thing you could substitute ground beef. I would just omit the allspice and add in some Italian herbs or seasonings like oregano and fresh parsley or basil. Trust me, this recipe will rock your block! For. Reals.
I’m such a big fan of this Lamp Lasagna With Parmesan Polenta... and I know you will be too! It’s a classic comfort food reinvented, and in my opinion, it’s even better than the original!
And if you're looking for another great lasagna recipe, check out these lasagna stuffed peppers!
Lamb Lasagna With Parmesan Polenta
Lamb Lasagna With Parmesan Polenta. With ground lamb, tomatoes, garlic, & onion... Polenta replaces the noodles, making it easy, gluten-free, & delish!
Ingredients
- Pam or other cooking spray
- 5 cups cooked Parmesan Polenta
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large onion chopped
- 4 large cloves garlic, minced
- 1 ½ teaspoon salt and pepper
- 2 pounds ground lamb
- 2 14.5 ounce cans petite diced tomatoes, (stewed tomatoes are great too but they will need to be diced)
- 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
- 4 tablespoons finely chopped parsley, more for garnish
- 2 ½ teaspoons allspice
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne
- 3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- Spray a 9" x 13" baking dish with Pam cooking spray
- Make the Parmesan Polenta and while it is still warm, pour it evenly into the baking dish. Allow it to rest on the counter.
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
- Heat a large saucepan with olive oil over medium high heat and saute onions for 5 minutes. Sprinkle with ½ teaspoon salt and pepper.
- Stir in garlic and cook 2 more minutes.
- Add ground lamb and season with another ½ teaspoon salt, pepper, allspice, and cayenne, then sauté for 7 minutes.
- Add in the rest of the salt and pepper, tomatoes, parsley and Parmesan cheese. Cook 10 more minutes uncovered.
- Spoon off any excess oil that may pool on the top of the lamb mixture.
- Pour the lamb mixture into the baking dish on top of the Parmesan Polenta. Top with mozzarella cheese and bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. Garnish with more chopped parsley and serve warm.
Notes
Our recommended polenta is this yummy Parmesan Polenta! 🙂
Nutrition Information
Yield
10Serving Size
10 ouncesAmount Per Serving Calories 611Total Fat 41gSaturated Fat 19gTrans Fat 1gUnsaturated Fat 17gCholesterol 152mgSodium 1478mgCarbohydrates 15gFiber 1gSugar 2gProtein 44g
This nutrition card uses an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. This estimate is not a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice!
Lisa Meredith
Dumb question, do we drain the canned tomatoes?
holly
That's not a dumb question, Lisa! There's no need to drain the tomatoes. This is such a yummy recipe!
Nancy
Can this be made the day before up to the point of baking?
holly
Hi Nancy, I've never tried it but I can't see why not. If you try it I would love to know how it goes.
medinalakegirl
I was intrigued by the polenta base and wanted to try this, but am not a fan of lamb. I used ground turkey and italian herbs, as you suggested. I also added some extra veggies (carrot and zucchini). For the polenta, I followed the instructions for the brand I purchased, which had a ratio of 2 cups polenta to 6 cups of liquid - it wasn't soupy and it wasn't too thick. I loved the polenta twist and will definitely make it again. Thanks!
holly
That's awesome! I love polenta for a gluten free alternative to pasta and just for something a little different that tastes delicious! Thanks so much!
G
You and your creative brain amazes me:) and these pictures😍😍😍
Vicky
I don't see the recipe for the parmesan polenta. Is it on a seperate page? Looks delicious, and I think it will halve nicely. Thank you.
Vicky
holly
Hi Vicky, thanks so much! The parmesan polenta is on another page. We love it so much and use it all the time so we thought it deserved its our spot on the blog. Here's the link to the recipe... https://tasteandsee.com/parmesan-polenta/ Normally we link to it in this recipe, but we just did a site update so I'm not sure what's going on. Thanks for the heads up and for stopping by!
Dominique
Do you have the nutrition facts available for this recipe? Just wondering how many carbs, calories, sugar, sodium, etc because my boyfriend is diabetic.
holly
Hi Dominique, We have not added the feature of offering nutritional values to our site quite yet. Here's a website I've used before that may help you... https://www.caloriecount.com/cc/recipe_analysis.php Having said that it all depends on portion size. We usually get 9ish servings out of this recipe. I entered the recipe for you and here's what it said 365 calories, 21 carbs and 3 sugars. Hope that helps.
Abby
Hi! I am making this tonight and am curious if the attached recipe for parmesan polenta is enough for the whole lasagna (i.e. will it equal the 5 cups needed?)
Thanks! I am sure it will be delish!
holly
Hi Abby! Yes - the parmesan polenta recipe will make 5 cups of cooked polenta. It is the perfect amount for the base layer of the lasagna in a 9x13 baking dish. If you want more than one layer of polenta than you'll need to double the polenta recipe. Or if it makes you feel better, make extra polenta to be safe and then you'll have leftovers for the rest of the week. I think you're going to love it!
Abby
Thanks. It was enough polenta for sure. My toddlers loved it. It came out a little soupier than your pictures indicated but we still enjoyed it. We are eating leftovers for dinner tonight!
holly
That's great to hear Abby! If the polenta wasn't as thick as it should be use less chicken stock or just cook it a little longer. It will thicken up the more you cook it. It's so cool that the toddlers loved it!!
Deb
Holly, this recipe looks wonderful and I'm looking forward to making it soon. One clarification in your recipe please. It calls for 2 cans of petite dices tomatoes. What size can? I want to be sure add the proper amount. Thanks!
holly
Hi Deb! Thanks for reaching out and catching that. You will need two 14.5 ounce cans of petite diced tomatoes. You can use stewed tomatoes if you prefer but you will need to chop them up. I would love to hear what you think of the recipe. I hope you love it like I do!
Deb
Holly, In follow-up, I made this dish this evening and followed it closely. Only change was the addition of a little more parm in the polenta. It was a hit! Thanks for sharing. I will definitely be making it again.
holly
That is great news Deb! I love hearing that! More parmesan is always a good idea!!? So glad it was well received.
karrie@tasty ever after
Loving this lamb lasagna so much right now. I also love lamb (but you know that! ;)) and we buy ours at a local farm. Unfortunately, when the farm was raising the lambs, I decided I wanted to meet them, so I did. Big mistake, I was crying and now when I eat the lamb, I think about the cuteness that I saw that day. My bad...
Anywho, genius on the using polenta and I'm making this very soon with the lamb in my freezer. Pinned! BTW, let me know ahead of time any Boston food/beer/fun fests that you guys go to because we will totally meet y'all up there 🙂
holly
Thank you my friend! This recipe is a keeper - you're gonna love it! I should probably get in touch with your local lamb provider - I'm sure it's the best quality meat. Road trip!! And I must agree with you, meeting the lamb you're getting ready to eat was a bahhhhd idea. ( Sorry - couldn't resist.) I'll keep you posted on any fun food festivals when I hear about them and we'll be sure to meet up!
Emily
This looks amazing. I LOVE lamb, especially when it's properly cooked! And polenta! Yum! Glad to see there are lots of people out there who like lamb too! I know so many people who don't like it..... This looks delicious!
holly
Thanks so much Emily! I'm so glad you reached out…I too find that not many people care for lamb. It's great to know I'm not alone and that there are other lamb lovers out there. This dish is so delicious and pretty easy, too - I hope you love it like I do!?