Use a prepared cornbread mix and a few more ingredients to give it a unique autumnal touch that is healthier than classic pumpkin bread. It works well as a side dish with soup or chili as indicated.
| Prep Time: | 15 mins |
| Cook Time: | 35 mins |
| Additional Time: | 5 mins |
| Total Time: | 55 mins |
| Servings: | 4 |
Ingredients
- 4 cups water
- 1 teaspoon fine salt
- 1 cup polenta
- 3 tablespoons butter, divided
- ½ cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, plus more for garnish
Instructions
- Bring water and salt to a boil in a large saucepan; pour polenta slowly into boiling water, whisking constantly until 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 for 5 minutes to thicken.
- Stir polenta and transfer to a serving bowl. Top polenta with remaining 1 tablespoon butter and about 1 tablespoon freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese for garnish.
- Cooking time will depend on the polenta grind, so you’ll have to adjust accordingly.
- This pairs perfectly with our
- .
Nutrition Facts
| Calories | 291 kcal |
| Carbohydrate | 31 g |
| Cholesterol | 33 mg |
| Dietary Fiber | 3 g |
| Protein | 9 g |
| Saturated Fat | 8 g |
| Sodium | 1186 mg |
| Sugars | 2 g |
| Fat | 15 g |
| Unsaturated Fat | 0 g |
Reviews
This is a wonderful switch from rIce, mashed taters, pasta. I used water with 1cup broth. I added a tablespoon plus of heavy cream at the end! Super fabulous. It doesnt compete with main course, it finishes it! No time for picture and we ate it all.
Also if you leave out the Parmesan cheese and pour the polenta into a loaf pan and refrigerate it the next morning you can fry a slice in butter and top it with warm maple syrup. That’s how our grandma gave it to us for breakfast or for dinner.
My mother and father, and all of my relatives for hundreds of years, are from the Tyrol in the Alps of northern Italy, where polenta is their most important food. In America, we make polenta with Quaker Yellow Corn Meal, in a proportion of one part corn meal to six parts water, with a teaspoon of salt. The polenta needs to cook about 45 minutes for a mellow flavor, traditionally in a solid copper pot, over low heat, until it is so thick that it cannot be stirred, even with a wooden spoon. Then it is inverted onto a wooden board, leaving a crispy crust attached to the pot, and sliced with a strong white thread, drawn from underneath, for each slice. Served with stew, such as chicken cacciatore. I would love to enjoy it every Sunday.
Very good! If there are any leftovers , next day pan fry in butter, baste and top with Par/Reg cheese. Delish! No waste in our house when I was small.
Super easy to make and always a family favourite with lamb shank
Very easy and good however it is a little high on the salt. I would suggest less than 1 tsp.
This is the best polenta I have ever tasted! It was extremely creamy and flavorful with just water. This is the perfect accompaniment to any meat or grilled vegetables. I made as written but will try with chicken stock next time to compare. Definitely not bland if you taste and adjust seasoning. Thanks, Chef John!
Never had it before. It was easy to make and very tasty. The only I changed was I used chicken stock instead of water.
I don’t know what I did wrong. It never got harder. Had to add cornstarch to thicken it. Could it be a gap in the lid to my pot?
Exceptional dish to accompany Chef John’s Pork al Latte! This was the first time I have made polenta (or tasted it!). So, I stuck to the recipe. Excellent!!!!
I just made this- great. I even followed the recipe, which is unusual for me. Thanks.
First time making Polenta, followed the recipe exactly, used it for a base for my braised short ribs, the first words out of my Fiancé s mouth was wow…creamy !! This will be my go to recipe!!
I do it like this but Romanian style; about 3 parts water to polenta and put in bowl to cool until it’s solid , tip upside down and you have a cute half-globe you can slice – for people who find it bland, that’s the point !- serve with rich meat dishes like goulash , sarmale or good sausages and the blandness makes the meat sing – with a good glass of fruity Portuguese, Italian or Moldovan red wine!
This was super delicious and the instructions were so helpful! Will definitely be making this again!
I made this today, I used vegetable broth and I added Parmsean Cheese and it was delicious. We had it with eggs, jalepeno cheddar bread on the side and left over roasted veggies from Thanksgiving. It was a great brunch.
I wouldn’t change a thing!!
Best recipe I have ever used! Thank you!
Suitable for a cold winter day*
Wasn’t paying attention and didn’t use a scant cup of cornmeal. Next time I will. It was soooooo good though.
I’m Uruguayan and i grew up eating this as a kid, now being 29 and living alone i was randomly craving it. This recipe is spot on and it tasted just like my moms. Adding a boiled egg to it is common to do, I’m going to add that next time I make it .
This is an excellent recipe. I made it with chicken broth instead of water. When the polenta has cooled, it becomes more solid. I highly recommend this dish.