THE SPLIT PLATE / RECIPE

French Dip Polenta Dunkers

Crisp polenta rounds + tender au jus beef + melty provolone, stacked into dunkers you dip in warm jus. One tube of polenta makes three plates at about 450 cal / 40g protein each.

YIELD3 servings
TOTAL TIME35 min
COOK METHODOven
EST. / SERVING~450 cal | ~40g protein

Ingredients

Ingredients

  • 1 (18 oz) tube Ancient Harvest prepared traditional polenta, chilled
  • Avocado-oil spray or up to 2 tsp avocado oil
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • 1 (15 oz) package Hormel Square Table Slow Simmered Beef Roast Au Jus
  • 6 slices thin provolone, 1 per dunker

Ingredients — continued

  • 2 cups water
  • 1 packet au jus mix
  • 1 packet bone-broth concentrate or powder
  • 2 cups cooked green beans, divided into three 2/3-cup servings
  • Citrus seasoning blend, to taste

Allergens: dairy, wheat, gluten.

Shared portions, not separate adult and kid builds: the batch makes three full plates of crisp polenta, beef, beans, and jus. For a child, serve a smaller amount from a full plate according to appetite; the listed macros apply only to a full plate.

Method

  1. 1.SLICE THE POLENTA. Heat the oven to 475°F. Pat the chilled polenta dry and slice it into 12 even rounds.
  2. 2.OIL + SEASON. Lightly coat both sides of the rounds with avocado oil and season with the black pepper. Arrange on a sheet pan and bake for 15 minutes.
  3. 3.FLIP + CRISP. Flip every round and bake for 10 minutes more, until the surfaces and edges are structurally crisp.
  4. 4.BEEF + JUICES. Heat the Hormel beef per its package. Drain it over a bowl, save all the juices, and separate the beef into bite-size strands.
  5. 5.BUILD THE JUS. Combine the reserved juices with 2 cups water, the au jus packet, and the bone-broth packet. Heat until fully dissolved and steaming.
  6. 6.ASSEMBLE + MELT. Top six crisp rounds with one provolone slice each and divide the drained beef among them. Bake open-faced for 5 minutes, then cap with the remaining six rounds.
  7. 7.BEANS + PLATE. Cook the green beans until tender and season with the citrus blend. Serve two dunkers, 2/3 cup green beans, and a ramekin of jus per plate — keep the jus outside the dunkers so the polenta stays crisp.

Storage and reheating

Store: Best served fresh so the polenta stays crisp. If holding, keep the crisp rounds, beef, and jus separate.

Reheat: Re-crisp the polenta rounds at 400°F for 5-6 min. Rewarm the beef in a little of the jus, and reheat the jus until steaming. Assemble at eat time.

Lasts: 2-3 days refrigerated for the beef and jus, stored separately. Crisp rounds soften once dressed — re-crisp before assembling.

Estimated nutrition

~450 cal | ~40g protein.

thesplitplate.com/recipes/french-dip-polenta-dunkers

French Dip Polenta Dunkers
Family Dinner

French Dip Polenta Dunkers

By Tushar Sharma

Crisp polenta rounds + tender au jus beef + melty provolone, stacked into dunkers you dip in warm jus. One tube of polenta makes three plates at about 450 cal / 40g protein each.

Make this when

Shared portions, not separate adult and kid builds: the batch makes three full plates of crisp polenta, beef, beans, and jus. For a child, serve a smaller amount from a full plate according to appetite; the listed macros apply only to a full plate.

Total time
35 min
Yield
3 servings
Protein
~40g
Calories
~450
Cost / serving
$4.65
Cook method
Oven
Allergens and safety

Contains: dairy, wheat, gluten

Packaged ingredients change formulas — check the label on what's actually in your kitchen.

High sodium
Adjust servings

Ingredients

Batch cookOriginal yield: 3. Adjusted ingredients will appear in print; check pan size and cooking time.

Ingredients

Method

  1. 1
    SLICE THE POLENTA

    Heat the oven to 475°F. Pat the chilled polenta dry and slice it into 12 even rounds.

  2. 2
    OIL + SEASON

    Lightly coat both sides of the rounds with avocado oil and season with the black pepper. Arrange on a sheet pan and bake for 15 minutes.

  3. 3
    FLIP + CRISP

    Flip every round and bake for 10 minutes more, until the surfaces and edges are structurally crisp.

  4. 4
    BEEF + JUICES

    Heat the Hormel beef per its package. Drain it over a bowl, save all the juices, and separate the beef into bite-size strands.

  5. 5
    BUILD THE JUS

    Combine the reserved juices with 2 cups water, the au jus packet, and the bone-broth packet. Heat until fully dissolved and steaming.

  6. 6
    ASSEMBLE + MELT

    Top six crisp rounds with one provolone slice each and divide the drained beef among them. Bake open-faced for 5 minutes, then cap with the remaining six rounds.

  7. 7
    BEANS + PLATE

    Cook the green beans until tender and season with the citrus blend. Serve two dunkers, 2/3 cup green beans, and a ramekin of jus per plate — keep the jus outside the dunkers so the polenta stays crisp.

Go deeper

Storage and nutrition

Storage: Best served fresh so the polenta stays crisp. If holding, keep the crisp rounds, beef, and jus separate.

Reheat: Re-crisp the polenta rounds at 400°F for 5-6 min. Rewarm the beef in a little of the jus, and reheat the jus until steaming. Assemble at eat time.

Lasts: 2-3 days refrigerated for the beef and jus, stored separately. Crisp rounds soften once dressed — re-crisp before assembling.

Watch the full cook

Brands I use

Ancient Harvest
Prepared Traditional Polenta (18 oz tube)
The bread swap — chilled, it slices into 12 clean rounds that oven-crisp into sturdy dunker halves. Any prepared polenta tube works.
Hormel
Square Table Slow Simmered Beef Roast Au Jus (15 oz)
Pre-cooked beef that shreds into tender strands, and its packaged juices are the base of the dipping jus. Recheck the label — sodium and macros vary by SKU.
Thin provolone
6 slices, 1 per dunker
Melts cleanly under the beef in the open-faced bake. Thin slices keep the plate near the macro line; thicker adds calories.
Au jus mix + bone-broth packet
1 packet each + 2 cups water
Boost the reserved beef juices into a full ramekin of dipping jus. Both are sodium-forward — taste before adding any salt.
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