Introducing a culinary delight that combines the rustic charm of polenta with the vibrant flavors of corn and cheese - a symphony of textures and tastes that will tantalize your palate. This versatile dish, with its creamy and comforting base, serves as a perfect canvas for an array of toppings and accompaniments, inviting you on a culinary journey. From the classic combination of sautéed mushrooms and herbs to the tangy zest of roasted tomatoes and feta, each recipe offers a unique twist on this Italian staple. Whether you prefer a vegetarian feast or a hearty meat-based indulgence, these polenta recipes cater to diverse preferences, promising an unforgettable dining experience.
**Recipes:**
* **Polenta with Corn and Cheese:** Embark on a culinary adventure with this classic polenta recipe, where sweet corn and gooey cheese come together in perfect harmony.
* **Polenta with Sautéed Mushrooms and Herbs:** Relish the earthy flavors of sautéed mushrooms and aromatic herbs, perfectly complementing the creamy polenta base.
* **Polenta with Roasted Tomatoes and Feta:** Experience a burst of Mediterranean flavors with roasted tomatoes, salty feta cheese, and a drizzle of olive oil, creating a delightful balance of flavors.
* **Polenta with Sausage and Kale:** Indulge in a hearty and flavorful combination of spicy sausage, sautéed kale, and creamy polenta, offering a satisfying and wholesome meal.
* **Polenta with Shrimp and Corn:** Dive into a seafood extravaganza with succulent shrimp, sweet corn, and a creamy polenta base, creating a dish that is both elegant and comforting.
POLENTA WITH CORN AND CHEESE
Provided by Marian Burros
Categories dinner, lunch, main course
Time 10m
Yield 3 servings
Number Of Ingredients 7
Steps:
- Shuck the corn, and scrape the kernels from it to yield 2 cups.
- With a fork, mix the ricotta and the blue cheese to blend well.
- Bring stock to boil; slowly stir in polenta, mixing constantly. Reduce heat to medium, and continue mixing until mixture thickens. Stir in corn and continue cooking until mixture is thick and corn is cooked, about 2 minutes.
- Remove from heat, and quickly stir in cheese mixture. Season with salt and pepper.
Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 500, UnsaturatedFat 6 grams, Carbohydrate 72 grams, Fat 15 grams, Fiber 6 grams, Protein 20 grams, SaturatedFat 7 grams, Sodium 545 milligrams, Sugar 9 grams
CHEESY POLENTA
This versatile side dish would work great along with pork, chicken, beef or fish. The trick is to slowly add the cornmeal and whisk constantly to avoid lumps.
Provided by dadrules
Categories Side Dish Grain Side Dish Recipes Polenta Recipes
Time 35m
Yield 8
Number Of Ingredients 7
Steps:
- In a large pot over medium-high heat, bring milk, water, and salt to a boil. Gradually whisk in polenta. Reduce heat to low, and cover. Cook 20 minutes, until creamy, lifting the lid and stirring every 3 or 4 minutes to prevent sticking. Remove pot from stove, stir in pepper and butter. Gradually stir in cheese. Serve.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 231.6 calories, Carbohydrate 18.4 g, Cholesterol 37.9 mg, Fat 14.1 g, Fiber 1.4 g, Protein 8.2 g, SaturatedFat 8.3 g, Sodium 658.4 mg, Sugar 3.8 g
POLENTA WITH CORN
Steps:
- In a medium-size saucepan, bring the milk, 2 cups water and bay leaf to a boil. Season generously with salt, almost to the point of over seasoning. How do you know that you are there? TASTE IT! When it has reached a boil, slowly whisk in the polenta in small sprinkles. Once all of the polenta has been incorporated, reduce the heat to medium and immediately switch over to stirring with a wooden spoon. Cook the polenta until it begins to pull away from the pan, adding water to loosen it up if it becomes too thick. Add the corn and stir to combine. When the polenta is thoroughly cooked, it should look creamy and not feel gritty on your tongue. Remove it from the heat and stir in the Parmesan and mascarpone.
CHEESY POLENTA
Provided by Giada De Laurentiis
Time 22m
Yield 8 to 10 servings
Number Of Ingredients 8
Steps:
- Bring the water to a boil in a large, heavy pot. Add the salt. Gradually whisk in the cornmeal. Reduce the heat to low and cook, stirring often, until the mixture thickens and the cornmeal is tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat. Add the cheese, milk, butter, and parsley. Stir until the butter and cheese have melted. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Transfer the polenta to a bowl and serve.
CREAMY CORN POLENTA
Provided by Giada De Laurentiis
Categories side-dish
Time 35m
Yield 4 to 6 servings
Number Of Ingredients 5
Steps:
- Bring the broth, 2 1/2 cups water, butter and 1 teaspoon salt to a boil in a heavy, large saucepan over high heat. Gradually whisk in the polenta. Continue to whisk until the polenta begins to thicken, 2 to 3 minutes. Reduce the heat to low. Cover and cook until the polenta is very thick and tender, stirring often with a flat-bottom spoon or heatproof rubber spatula to prevent sticking or burning, about 20 minutes. Blend the corn in a mini processor until a coarse puree forms. Stir the corn puree into the polenta. Season with more salt if desired.
HOW TO MAKE PERFECT POLENTA
Polenta is nothing more than coarsely ground cornmeal. The classic ratio is 1 part polenta to 4 parts water, but I like to measure the polenta just a little scant of a full cup. I often use chicken broth instead of water. It's a perfect base for any kind of saucy meat or mushroom ragout.
Provided by Chef John
Categories Side Dish Grain Side Dish Recipes Polenta Recipes
Time 55m
Yield 4
Number Of Ingredients 5
Steps:
- Bring water and salt to a boil in a large saucepan; pour polenta slowly into boiling water, whisking constantly until all polenta is stirred in and there are no lumps.
- Reduce heat to low and simmer, whisking often, until polenta starts to thicken, about 5 minutes. Polenta mixture should still be slightly loose. Cover and cook for 30 minutes, whisking every 5 to 6 minutes. When polenta is too thick to whisk, stir with a wooden spoon. Polenta is done when texture is creamy and the individual grains are tender.
- Turn off heat and gently stir 2 tablespoons butter into polenta until butter partially melts; mix 1/2 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese into polenta until cheese has melted. Cover and let stand 5 minutes to thicken; stir and taste for salt before transferring to a serving bowl. Top polenta with remaining 1 tablespoon butter and about 1 tablespoon freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese for garnish.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 291.2 calories, Carbohydrate 31 g, Cholesterol 33.4 mg, Fat 14.7 g, Fiber 2.7 g, Protein 9.2 g, SaturatedFat 8.2 g, Sodium 1186.1 mg, Sugar 2 g
BASIC POLENTA
Polenta is basically cornmeal mush, and it can be made with any kind of cornmeal, ground coarse, medium or fine. (You don't need bags marked "polenta.") As with most ingredients, though, the better the cornmeal you start with, the better your result in the kitchen. The trick is cooking the polenta for a sufficient amount of time. You must allow the cornmeal to swell and become fully cooked. That way, you emphasize the sweet corn flavor and don't end up with something bitter and lame. Yes, it takes a long time. But it's worth it - and you can fry the leftovers tomorrow night in a snap.
Provided by David Tanis
Categories easy
Time 1h
Yield 6 servings
Number Of Ingredients 4
Steps:
- For firm polenta use 4 cups water; for soft polenta use 5 cups water. Bring water to a boil in a medium-size heavy sauce pan over high heat. Add 1 teaspoon salt. Pour cornmeal slowly into water, stirring with a wire whisk or wooden spoon. Continue stirring as mixture thickens, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Turn heat to low. Cook for at least 45 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes or so. If polenta becomes quite thick, thin it with 1/2 cup water, stir well and continue cooking. Add up to 1 cup more water as necessary, to keep polenta soft enough to stir. Put a spoonful on a plate, let it cool, then taste. Grains should be swollen and taste cooked, not raw. Adjust salt and add pepper if you wish.
- For firm polenta, lightly butter a baking sheet or shallow dish, approximately 8 1/2 by 11 inches. Carefully pour polenta into pan. Using a spatula, spread polenta to a thickness of 3/4 inch. Cool to room temperature to allow polenta to solidify. Cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days. For soft polenta, add 6 tablespoons butter to pot and stir well. Serve immediately or transfer to a double boiler set over low heat, cover and keep warm for up to an hour or so. (Or set the saucepan in a pot of barely simmering water.) Stir well before spooning into low soup bowls. Sprinkle with Parmesan, if desired.
Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 100, UnsaturatedFat 0 grams, Carbohydrate 21 grams, Fat 1 gram, Fiber 1 gram, Protein 2 grams, SaturatedFat 0 grams, Sodium 62 milligrams, Sugar 0 grams, TransFat 0 grams
CHEF JOHN'S THREE CORN POLENTA
When I first began my career as a cook in San Francisco, I remember talking with a Chef about an upcoming menu on which he was thinking of using polenta as the side dish. I asked him if he was talking about polanda. He said he'd never heard of polanda. I called my mom and told her we were going to serve something called polenta at the restaurant. I asked her if she had ever heard of it. She laughed and said that they were the same things! She explained that 'pol-an-da' was just our family's mispronunciation of the actual name polenta. I was pretty embarrassed, to say the least!
Provided by Chef John
Categories Side Dish Grain Side Dish Recipes Polenta Recipes
Time 55m
Yield 4
Number Of Ingredients 8
Steps:
- Melt 1 teaspoon butter and olive oil in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook and stir 2/3 of the corn, with a pinch of salt and a pinch of cayenne pepper in the hot butter and oil until the corn is fragrant and golden, about 10 minutes. Add garlic; cook and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Pour 2 cups water into corn mixture; bring to a simmer and whisk polenta into mixture. Bring to a simmer again, reduce heat to low, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until mixture is thick and polenta absorbs the water, 20 minutes. Add remaining 1/2 cup water and stir; cook for until water is completely absorbed, about 10 minutes more.
- Stir remaining corn and 1 teaspoon butter into polenta mixture. Remove from heat, cover the pot, and let sit for 5 minutes before serving.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 166 calories, Carbohydrate 26.6 g, Cholesterol 7 mg, Fat 5.6 g, Fiber 2.9 g, Protein 4.6 g, SaturatedFat 2.1 g, Sodium 211 mg, Sugar 2.9 g
POLENTA WITH GREEN CHILES AND CHEESE
We love polenta, this is a delicious with green chiles and cheese. This can be made 1 day ahead and refrigerated.Makes 4 main course servings or 8 side dish servings. I got this recipe off of the internet.
Provided by Barb G.
Categories Grains
Time 1h15m
Yield 4-8 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 12
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees; Butter an 8x8x2-inch baking dish.
- Mix milk, Water, cornmeal, garlic, and salt in a heavy saucepan, bring to simmer over medium heat, stirring constantly; cook until polenta is thickened, stirring often, 12 to 15 minutes, add salt and pepper to taste; stir in Parmesan cheese.
- Pour half of polenta into prepared dish; cover with half of the chilies and half of corn, sprinkle with half of the cilantro and 1 cup Monterey Jack cheese; drizzle with 1/4 cup of cream.
- REPEAT; Spoon remaining polenta over and cover with remaining chilies, corn, cilantro and cheese, pour the other 1/4 cup cream over top.
- Bake until polenta puffs and cheese begins to brown, about 25 minutes; cut into squares and serve.
PAN-FRIED POLENTA WITH CORN, KALE AND GOAT CHEESE
This is a gourmet polenta recipe as it uses kale and goat cheese.
Provided by Candice
Categories Side Dish Grain Side Dish Recipes Polenta Recipes
Time 2h20m
Yield 2
Number Of Ingredients 12
Steps:
- In a medium saucepan, heat the butter over medium heat. Add the garlic and stir constantly for 1 minute; don't let the garlic brown. Add 3 cups of the water, and bring it to a boil.
- While the water heats, whisk together in a bowl the cornmeal, salt, and 1 cup water to make a smooth mixture.
- When the water in the saucepan comes to a boil, pour the mixture into it. Whisk constantly for 3 minutes to prevent lumps from forming. Turn the heat to low. Cook for 40 minutes, stirring with a wooden spoon every 10 minutes. Stir in the corn kernels and cook the polenta 5 minutes more. Stir in the pepper and Parmesan cheese. Pour the polenta into a lightly oiled 8x8 inch pan and smooth the top with a spatula. Chill the polenta in a refrigerator for 1 hour.
- While the polenta is cooling, cut away the stems and center stalks of the kale. Cut the leaves into 3-inch pieces.
- Cut the chilled polenta into 4 large triangles. Heat the olive oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil begins to smoke, carefully add the polenta triangles. Fry the polenta until it is golden brown on the underside, then turn the polenta over and cook it until it is golden brown on the other side. Arrange the polenta on a baking sheet.
- Preheat the broiler on your oven.
- Place the kale and 1/3 cup water into the skillet that was just used to fry the polenta. Cover the skillet and cook the kale over a medium-high heat for 4 minutes.
- Place the tomato slices on top of the polenta triangles. Sprinkle the goat cheese on top of the tomato slices. Broil the polenta until the cheese melts and the tomatoes begin to cook.
- Arrange the kale on a serving platter. Place the hot polenta triangles on top of the kale and serve immediately.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 690 calories, Carbohydrate 88.5 g, Cholesterol 53.3 mg, Fat 31.1 g, Fiber 10.4 g, Protein 23.9 g, SaturatedFat 14.9 g, Sodium 1250.3 mg, Sugar 6.4 g
CREAMY CORN-STUDDED POLENTA
Provided by Amy Finley
Categories Side High Fiber Dinner Corn Hominy/Cornmeal/Masa Bon Appétit Wheat/Gluten-Free Peanut Free Tree Nut Free Soy Free No Sugar Added
Yield Makes 4 servings
Number Of Ingredients 6
Steps:
- Bring broth, cream, and salt to boil in medium saucepan. Gradually whisk in polenta; reduce heat to medium-low and simmer 10 minutes, stirring often. Add corn; increase heat and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook until polenta is soft, thick, and creamy, stirring often, about 15 minutes. Stir in butter and season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve hot.
POLENTA, CORN AND CHEESE
Provided by Marian Burros
Categories dinner, weekday, main course
Time 15m
Yield 2 servings
Number Of Ingredients 6
Steps:
- Scrape kernels from corn.
- Bring stock to a boil in a covered pot.
- Grate cheese.
- When stock boils, stir in corn and cook about 30 seconds.
- Reduce heat to medium, and slowly stir in the polenta so it does not lump. Cook until mixture thickens, a couple of minutes. Stir in the cheese, and season with salt and pepper.
Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 547, UnsaturatedFat 7 grams, Carbohydrate 87 grams, Fat 14 grams, Fiber 7 grams, Protein 24 grams, SaturatedFat 7 grams, Sodium 757 milligrams, Sugar 13 grams
GRILLED POLENTA WITH CORN AND PARMESAN
Categories Side Parmesan Cornmeal Corn Summer Grill/Barbecue Bon Appétit Sugar Conscious Vegetarian Pescatarian Wheat/Gluten-Free Peanut Free Tree Nut Free Soy Free No Sugar Added Kosher
Yield Makes 6 servings
Number Of Ingredients 9
Steps:
- Heat 1 tablespoon oil in medium skillet over medium heat. Add onion; sauté 5 minutes. Add garlic; sauté 1 minute. Add corn; sauté until heated through, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat.
- Bring 2 cups water and 1 teaspoon salt to boil in medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk cornmeal and 1 cup water in medium bowl to blend. Whisk cornmeal-water mixture into boiling water; return to boil. Cook until polenta is smooth and thick, stirring often, about 30 minutes. Stir in corn mixture.
- Brush 11x7x2-inch dish with oil. Spread polenta in dish. Cool completely. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover; chill.)
- Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat). Brush grill with oil. Cut polenta into 12 squares. Brush both sides with oil. Place on grill; cover grill. Grill until polenta is golden brown, about 3 minutes per side, sprinkling with cheese during last minute. Serve hot.
Tips:
- For a creamier polenta, use whole milk or cream instead of water.
- Add a tablespoon of butter or olive oil to the polenta while it is cooking to make it more flavorful.
- Stir in some grated Parmesan or Asiago cheese to the polenta for a cheesy flavor.
- Top the polenta with your favorite toppings, such as roasted vegetables, grilled chicken, or a simple tomato sauce.
- Polenta can be served as a main course or a side dish.
Conclusion:
Polenta is a delicious and versatile dish that can be enjoyed in many different ways. With its creamy texture and mild flavor, polenta is a great canvas for a variety of toppings and flavors. Whether you are looking for a hearty main course or a simple side dish, polenta is a great option. So next time you are looking for something new to try, give polenta a try. You won't be disappointed!
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