Need recipes for polenta

Ok so I bought some polenta today and HAVE no idea what to do with it. I have never had it and today was try something new day! So we bought some polenta, I bought one that is italian herb flavor. I would love to know what is the best way to cook it and what to serve it with.

Hi have a few recipes, but none are really figure friendly. So I am waiting too!

Waiting with you girls....humming

what is polenta?

I have never made this myself, but you can find recipes by rating at recipezaar.com or allrecipes.com Just do an ingredient search and then sort your results

They should be able to give you some ideas. I was curious so I was looking around a bit myself :)

Sorry to be so impatient for your response slappy... I went looking:

http://www.initaly.com/regions/friuli/sims.ht m

It's boiled corn meal! Who would have known... and I'm italian!
(part anyhow)

The traditional Italian way to serve polenta (I'm talkin' peasant food here) is to cook it in boiling salted water until very thick - the wooden spoon should stand up in it. It is then spread out on a platter or board to thicken. It's spread with olive oil, tomatoes, meats, cheeses, sometimes roasted peppers and mushrooms, sort of like an unbaked pizza. It's served by cutting into it with a spatula. It's a good way to use up leftovers or to stretch a meal if you don't have much.

All the gourmet's have discovered polenta now and they mix stuff into it, chill it so it sets up in a loaf, then cut slices and fry them until golden brown.

It's good, but watch the portions and stay away from the olive oil and fried toppings.

Claire

thanks guys! the kind I bought is already prepared and on the package it says to slice and bake. grill or fry it. Low calories too. Its Italian Herb flavor so guess I could just cook and serve with some steamed veggies.

If it's the roll-kind (which is rather expensive since making your OWN is really easy and really cheap), here's a recipe that i like b/c it's super easy. you'd have to do your own substitutions though (i.e. fat-free cheese, ground turkey or venison (that's what i used)). not sure what the cal-count is, but it's easy enough to add up yourself.

POLENTA TAMALE PIE (http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/recipe_view s/views/102202)

1 pound ground beef
1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 16-ounce bottle spicy salsa
1 15- to 16-ounce can refried beans
1 14 1/2-ounce can chicken broth
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 1-pound rolls prepared polenta, sliced into 1/3-inch-thick rounds
3 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Sauté beef in heavy large pot over medium-high heat until no longer pink, breaking up meat with back of fork, about 3 minutes. Add chili powder and cumin; stir 1 minute. Add salsa, beans and broth. Simmer until mixture thickens, about 10 minutes. Mix in 1/4 cup cilantro; season with salt and pepper.

Oil 13x9x2-inch glass baking dish. Place half of polenta in dish. Top with sauce and 1 1/2 cups cheese, then remaining polenta, cheese and cilantro. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover with foil; chill.)

Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake freshly assembled pie, uncovered, until heated through and sauce bubbles, about 35 minutes, or bake refrigerated pie, covered, 20 minutes, then uncover and bake until heated through, about 35 minutes.

Makes 8 servings.

OH YEAH...and LEAVE OUT THE BROTH!!! it becomes a soupy mess and is NOT needed.

Tamale pie! That sounds really good. You could cut calories by using ground turkey breast or chicken, or just more beans.

Isn't polenta just like grits?

I get the kind in a roll sometimes.  I slice it about 1/4 inch thick, spray the slices with olive oil, then broil them until browned.  Then I serve them with marinara and veggies.

Here's a few ideas:

Boil polenta according to directions, but use chicken broth instead of water and a teaspoon of rosemary or basil.  Pour into a 13 X 9 pan and cool in fridge.  Cut into squares, place on cookie sheet, brush with olive oil and broil til golden.  Top with any type of topping you want (pesto, bruschetta topping, ham and swiss, parmesan and sundried tomato...etc) pop back under the broiler for another couple of minutes to bring out the flavors and melt any cheeses.

Use like mashed potatoes as a "base" for Chicken Cacciatore or stews or roasted chicken, etc.  Its excellent with gravies/meats.

spice it up with a teaspoon or two of pesto or

polenta pancakes with maple syrup.  pour leftover polenta into a pan and refrigerate just like the top recipe.  "Fry" in nonstick pan sprayed with Pam and serve with cinnamon sugar or sugar free maple syrup for breakfast.  

Deep Fried polenta Sticks.  SiNFUL!!  Dusted with parmesan.  SINFUL!!!  Served at Fogo de Chao, the Brazillian Churascaria as a side dish. 

 

Its delicious with roasted red peppers and roasted tomatoes... maybe some caramelized onions on there too!

Original Post by mrsj:

Isn't polenta just like grits?

No it isn't.  Polenta is whole ground cornmeal.  Grits is just the white part of the corn.  Polenta is more like cornmeal, just a bit coarser.

I like to make polenta lasagna if I have the slice and bake variety. I don't have a recipe, because it's one of those "rummage in your cupboards and see what you come up with" meals. The staples are polenta and spaghetti sauce. I also like to use roasted bell peppers, mushrooms, olives, and whatever I have on hand veggie wise.

Slice the polenta and layer it in a baking dish. Pour some sauce over it. Put the veggies on top of that. Add another layer of polenta and then repeat with sauce. Of course, I like to top it with a bit of fresh mozzarella cheese, but that's optional. It's good even without it.

Edited to add: Bake at 375 until the sauce is nice and bubbly.  

You can cook polenta from cornmeal... So, it kind of is cornmeal. If that makes sense...

I slice it thin, spray it with pam, and pan fry it. Or bake it with a thin slice of cheese (mozz or parm) on it. Or serve with marinara sauce.

My guess is that you have bought the roll kind if it's got herbs in it all ready.

You can make it yourself in the future, but it's not as easy to get a good product in the end. The old saying is that for good polenta, you have to stir for 30 minutes, for great polenta, over an hour. The longer and harder you stir, the better it will be. Promise! But my arms usually poop out around the hour mark and then I am too weak to lift it on a fork to my mouth (just kidding).

soooo.... its like yellow grits :)

 

I get the quick-cooking polenta and its very easy, comes out great. 

I used to be in an Italian family and this was an old family favorite from northern Italy.  We had it with a tomato sauce, and beef.  Leftover polenta was fried with syrup.

I have heard that using polenta is a cheat for making potica; a pastry that is usually apple, walnut, blueberry or cottage cheese is usually popular in my family.  It's kind of a thin pastry with almost a pie filling and it's rolled into loaves.  Definitely a dessert item!   My great aunt just won a local award for her potica (po TEETS a).  Otherwise you'd have to stretch the dough til it's super thin and not let it rip.  This is why polienta is easier.  I just know there's lots of butter and lots of filling.  I'd have to get the recipe.  My aunt makes it often with polenta.  My great aunt who just won the award doesn't cheat!

http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/breakfas t-polenta-recipe.html