We love the versatility of this 25-minute entrée. Originally the name referred to crushed, ground grains and/or legumes. Add cheese, herbs or other favorite seasonings. It melds all the elements and adds bright notes to a hearty dish. These days, quick cooking and ready-made packaged polenta are easy to find. When ready to serve, broil the polenta for a quick time saver. Find Polenta ideas, recipes & cooking techniques for all levels from Bon Appétit, where food and culture meet. Have you tried polenta? Got a Polenta recipe or a great idea? Smoked paprika, available in supermarkets, is nice to spice up sour cream, eggs, or rice. Pantry Checklist: 2 Place the water in a large pot. Cheesy Polenta Bites with Brussels Sprouts and Pancetta. This hearty entrée features a mushroom and sausage ragù (Italian meat-and-tomato pasta sauce) served over creamy polenta. Invite company over for this gourmet-inspired dish that's a snap to make. Serve with green beans and grilled pork. These are also tasty with chopped, dried figs or cranberries in place of the currants. Once your polenta is ready, it can be baked, grilled, fried, or served as a creamy addition to any course. Once cooked, polenta can be formed into various shapes and then fried, baked or grilled until crispy golden brown on the outside, and creamy-tender on the inside. This fish is like the chicken breast of the sea: an American favorite. Opting for turkey sausage over pork sausage cuts the fat and calories nearly in half. Photo: José Picayo, Credit: Traditional polenta is typically simmered for about 45 minutes. I first got hooked on polenta when my Italian friend, Josephine, made it for me. Make delicious vegetarian meals with these recipes: If you like mushrooms but want a little meat, try, Use polenta as a “pizza” crust with favorite pizza toppings. With … 4 ratings 4.5 out of 5 star rating. Our polenta squares are impressive and delicious. Polenta chips. Serve the polenta slices plain as a side dish to beef, sausages, lamb or poultry. Brush the polenta with oil and bake in a preheated 400-degree oven for 10 minutes. Premade polenta rolls are one of my tricks. Before serving, let the dish stand at room temperature one hour, cut polenta into triangles, and toast them at mealtime. • Fresh flat-leaf parsley. Credit: Bake in a hot oven until cooked and golden, then grate parmesan over and flash under a hot grill. Once you try some of these polenta recipes, I think you’ll agree that polenta is simple, elegant and delicious! To keep this recipe quick and easy yet deliver attractive grill marks, we used a grill pan instead of firing up an outdoor grill. Top polenta with favorite baked-potato toppings. Heat the oven to 230C (210C)/450F/gas 8. Oh, fixins. Put on a baking sheet and drizzle with more oil. Make these a day ahead by preparing and chilling the polenta and mushroom mixture. Photo: Johnny Miller, Credit: Top polenta with your favorite pasta sauce. Garnish with sage sprigs. It’s lean, mild, and pleasantly firm. (The polenta will splatter.) Who ever said that chicken wings, doughnuts, and pizza couldn't be healthy? It was wonderful, just like this delicious Breakfast Polenta with Dried Fruits and Almonds. Precooked tubes of polenta, jarred artichokes … … Read page 2 of the I have a tube of polenta ... now what? This meal is not just a pretty plate. For a posh do use slices of … Larger ribs will obviously take longer in the oven to get fork-tender, and one of the big ones will be a serving. Photo: John Autry. Grilled Polenta. They make most any kind of standard salad tastier and more substantial! Use tube polenta as a bed for bean dishes. Polenta is so versatile, you can serve it for breakfast, lunch, dinner or as an appetizer. Use polenta as a base for sauces, stews and thick soups, like in these recipes: Top polenta with your favorite pasta sauce. Make as a breakfast cereal; add nuts, seeds, dried fruits, fresh fruit, and milk of choice. There are more opinions on how to cook polenta the ‘proper’ Italian way than there are grains of the stuff in a packet, but generally it’s cooked in boiling water or milk. Turkey sausage and bottled marinara combine for a healthy, quick, and affordable twist on this Italian classic. Parmesan polenta topped with a rich mushroom mix and melting Taleggio cheese makes for a vegetarian main with a difference 1 hr and 5 mins . Working quickly, spread the polenta evenly in a lightly oiled shallow gratin or lasagna pan and let cool completely. Cold polenta can also be used to prepare an unusual pizza. Polenta is made when cornmeal is boiled in water, resulting in a grits-like consistency. Photo: John Autry, Credit: While stirring constantly, slowly add one cup of polenta, letting the grains pass through your fingers in a steady stream. Break polenta into large, irregular pieces or cut into squares. Theres something enticing about the seitan/polenta synergy, and with the addition of greens, results in a great-looking, hearty dish. Polenta's grits-like consistency comes from boiling cornmeal in water. The method from this Italian dish of stirring the polenta vigorously between sessions of cooking the grain covered for a few minutes produces superior results. Fresh herbs and creamy fontina cheese up the flavor quota and add even more dimension to the mushrooms. Make as a breakfast cereal; add nuts, seeds, dried fruits, fresh fruit, and milk of choice. Join the discussion today. Creamy and savory collide in a wonderful way. Polenta-balls with herbs. I’m a little lost on where to start. Read the What goes well with polenta? Let me know. Once this warm dish is made, it’s baked, grilled, fried, or served creamy, making it one of the most versatile dishes. Credit: Offers may be subject to change without notice. This hearty meat sauce with cheesy polenta is a nice change from spaghetti. Its pungency offsets the shrimp's sweetness. Cook the polenta while the ragù simmers so everything will be ready and hot at the same time. Oxmoor House. If you replace the chicken broth with vegetable broth, this side dish can serve four as a vegetarian entrée. Instead of tarragon, you can use fresh sage or more thyme. Our editors love polenta triangles for appetizers, polenta casserole for family night, and polenta with Italian-Style Beef for those evenings when they crave comfort food. In a heavy skillet on medium heat, melt 1 tbsp olive oil buttery spread; add polenta pieces and cook until browned, 3 minutes per side. She stirred yellow cornmeal into homemade broth, adding grated Reggiano and extra virgin olive oil. Our readers gave it five stars and rave that this dish is creamy and delicious. Polenta Pancakes with Summer Berries. Essentially, it is a cornmeal that's boiled in a liquid (water or broth)— similar to how one would cook porridge or oatmeal. Vegetarian . 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