Polenta, a delectable dish with humble origins in Northern Italy, has captured the hearts and taste buds of food enthusiasts worldwide. This creamy, golden meal, made from coarsely ground cornmeal, transforms into a culinary masterpiece when baked in the oven. The result is a delectable crunchy cheesy baked polenta that combines the perfect balance of crispy and creamy textures, inviting you on a culinary adventure that will tantalize your senses. Join us as we explore the secrets behind crafting the ultimate crunchy cheesy oven-baked polenta, unearthing the culinary magic that lies within this timeless dish.
Here are our top 9 tried and tested recipes!
CRUNCHY CHEESY OVEN-BAKED POLENTA
Gorgonzola and pecorino-Romano cheeses, Italian-style panko crispy bread crumbs and whipping cream transform polenta into a cheesy and delicious vegetarian side dish or appetizer.
Provided by By Arlene Cummings
Categories Side Dish
Time 30m
Yield 7
Number Of Ingredients 10
Steps:
- Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 17x12-inch half-sheet pan with cooking spray.
- In 1 1/2-quart saucepan, cook oil, butter and garlic over medium-high heat 2 to 3 minutes or until garlic is transparent (do not let garlic burn). Add whipping cream; heat to a slight simmer. Stir in Gorgonzola cheese until melted. Stir in pecorino-Romano cheese. Remove from heat.
- Cut polenta into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Arrange slices in pan. Ladle cheese sauce evenly over polenta; sprinkle with pepper. Sprinkle bread crumbs evenly over top.
- Bake uncovered about 15 minutes.
- Set oven control to broil. Broil 2 to 3 minutes or until top is golden brown. Garnish with basil. Serve warm.
Nutrition Facts : ServingSize 1 Serving
BAKED POLENTA WITH CHEESE
Want a different family side dish but with flavors sure to please? Then try this. With some store-bought polenta in a tube and a few other ingredients, TADA ... scalloped polenta, yum!
Provided by laughingmagpie
Categories Side Dish Grain Side Dish Recipes Polenta Recipes
Time 1h
Yield 5
Number Of Ingredients 12
Steps:
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Grease an 8-inch square baking pan with 1 teaspoon butter. Add 2 teaspoons Parmesan cheese to the baking pan and shake gently, back and forth, until the bottom and sides are coated with Parmesan, discarding any extra.
- Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and saute until tender, about 5 minutes. Add flour and stir until well combined. Turn off heat and whisk in milk. Turn heat to medium-low and bring sauce to a simmer; cook until thickened, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
- While sauce is thickening, mix together Cheddar cheese, Parmesan cheese, and bread crumbs in a bowl.
- Layer 1/2 of the polenta slices in the prepared baking dish and top with 1/2 of the sauce. Repeat with remaining polenta and sauce. Top with cheese mixture.
- Bake in the preheated oven until cheese is melted and golden brown, about 25 minutes.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 423.5 calories, Carbohydrate 32.5 g, Cholesterol 71.2 mg, Fat 24.5 g, Fiber 2.5 g, Protein 18.4 g, SaturatedFat 15.1 g, Sodium 820.4 mg, Sugar 7.9 g
CREAMY CHEDDAR POLENTA WITH FRESH HERBS
Provided by Cooking Channel
Categories side-dish
Time 30m
Yield 6 to 8 mini-cup servings
Number Of Ingredients 8
Steps:
- Bring 2 cups of water, the milk and a very large pinch of salt to a boil in a medium saucepan. Reduce the heat so the liquid is at a low simmer, and add the cornmeal in a slow and steady stream, constantly whisking to prevent lumps. Cook the polenta at a low simmer, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes; if the mixture gets too thick, add water 1/2 cup at a time.
- Remove from the heat, stir in the butter and olive oil and then stir in the Cheddar. Season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- Serve immediately in mini cups, topped with chopped herbs
EASY OVEN-BAKED REAL POLENTA (NOT INSTANT)
Why stir polenta forever when this delicious recipe works beautifully? I like to roast veggies (eggplant, zucchini, onion) while the polenta bakes, then when the polenta is done, top with roasted veggies and some chopped tomatoes, some spices, and bake another 20 minutes. It's dinner.
Provided by Nancy
Categories Side Dish Grain Side Dish Recipes Polenta Recipes
Time 1h10m
Yield 4
Number Of Ingredients 7
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 2-quart casserole dish with cooking spray.
- Pour water into the prepared dish; stir in polenta and salt.
- Bake in the preheated oven until polenta is thickened, about 40 minutes. Stir in squash, sour cream, and Cheddar cheese. Continue baking until cheese is melted, about 10 minutes more. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 304.9 calories, Carbohydrate 32.1 g, Cholesterol 34.1 mg, Fat 15.1 g, Fiber 2.7 g, Protein 10.5 g, SaturatedFat 8.4 g, Sodium 533.1 mg, Sugar 2.1 g
BAKED POLENTA WITH CRISPY LEEKS AND BLUE CHEESE
Baking polenta in the oven means you don't have to stand over the pot, stirring the extremely hot, bubbling mass. Here, the polenta is cooked in stock for the deepest flavor. Then it's topped with piquant crumbles of Gorgonzola dolce and crisp fried leeks, which add sweetness and crunch. You can serve this as a warming main course along with a crisp green salad, or as a rich and flavorful side dish to simple roasted meats or fish.
Provided by Melissa Clark
Categories dinner, weekday, grains and rice, main course, side dish
Time 1h
Yield 4 to 6 servings
Number Of Ingredients 8
Steps:
- Heat oven to 350 degrees and butter a 9-by-9-inch baking dish. In a large pot, bring stock, 2 tablespoons butter and salt to a boil.
- Reduce heat to medium, then slowly add polenta, stirring constantly until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes.
- Scrape polenta into prepared dish, cover with foil, and bake for 40 minutes.
- As polenta bakes, prepare the leeks: Heat remaining 1 tablespoon butter and 3 tablespoons oil, in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in leeks and a large pinch of salt, and cook until dark golden and crisped, stirring frequently, and lowering heat if they start to brown too quickly, 10 to 12 minutes. Season with salt to taste.
- Remove polenta from oven. Stir in half the Gorgonzola, then cover again with foil, and let sit for 10 minutes to melt the cheese.
- When ready to serve, taste polenta and stir in more salt, if needed (this will depend on how salty your cheese and stock are). Drizzle polenta with olive oil, and sprinkle with remaining Gorgonzola, crispy leeks, and parsley or basil.
Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 350, UnsaturatedFat 11 grams, Carbohydrate 31 grams, Fat 20 grams, Fiber 2 grams, Protein 10 grams, SaturatedFat 9 grams, Sodium 578 milligrams, Sugar 4 grams, TransFat 0 grams
OVEN-BAKED CREAMY POLENTA
This warm and creamy side dish is perfect with our Braised Chicken with Mushrooms.
Provided by Martha Stewart
Categories Food & Cooking Ingredients Pasta and Grains
Time 35m
Number Of Ingredients 6
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In an ovenproof saucepan with a lid, whisk together 3 cups water, cornmeal, salt, and pepper. Cover, and bake 30 minutes, stirring halfway through.
- Remove from oven, and add milk, butter, and marjoram; whisk briskly until smooth. Serve immediately.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 155 g, Protein 2 g
CRISPY SEASONED POLENTA SQUARES
Crisp polenta squares make a delightful side for a variety of main dishes. Sun-dried tomatoes and just the right amount of seasoning make them seem special...a dollop of sour cream adds the finishing touch! Shelly Fisher - Hermiston, Oregon
Provided by Taste of Home
Categories Side Dishes
Time 40m
Yield 9 servings.
Number Of Ingredients 14
Steps:
- In a large heavy saucepan, bring the water, tomatoes, salt, onion and garlic to a boil. Reduce heat to a gentle boil; slowly whisk in cornmeal. Cook and stir with a wooden spoon for 15-20 minutes or until polenta is thickened and pulls away cleanly from the sides of the pan. Stir in cheese and oregano. Spread into a 9-in. square baking pan coated with cooking spray. Cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes., Cut polenta into nine squares. In a shallow bowl, whisk egg and milk. In another shallow bowl, combine bread crumbs and cilantro. Dip polenta in the egg mixture, then bread crumb mixture. , In a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray, cook polenta in oil in batches for 1-2 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Serve with sour cream.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 134 calories, Fat 5g fat (2g saturated fat), Cholesterol 18mg cholesterol, Sodium 456mg sodium, Carbohydrate 18g carbohydrate (2g sugars, Fiber 2g fiber), Protein 5g protein. Diabetic Exchanges
CREAMY OVEN BAKED POLENTA
i love polenta-- but i hate stirring, my micro recipe is easier but this is good too. you can add parmesan cheese, bleu cheese or cheddar if you want to make it thicker
Provided by chia2160
Categories Kosher
Time 35m
Yield 4 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 6
Steps:
- preheat oven to 425.
- in a dish with a lid whisk together water, cornmeal, salt& pepper.
- cover and bake 30 minutes, stirring halfway through.
- remove from oven, add milk, butter, marjoram, adjust seasonings with salt& pepper, whisk until smooth.
- serve.
OVEN BAKED POLENTA WITH PARMESAN
I love polenta, soft with stew or firm, sliced and fried or baked with tomato sauce and cheese. This is an especially easy version that I found at the "Food and Wine" website.
Provided by Normaone
Categories Low Protein
Time 1h45m
Yield 8-10 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 6
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 450^F.
- Bring water to a boil and add 2 tsp salt.
- Bring water to a simmer.
- Gradually whisk in the cornmeal.
- Whisk smooth.
- Bring to a simmer, cover and place in the oven.
- Bake 1 1/2 hours, stirring every 15 minutes until thick and no longer gritty.
- Stir in the butter and the Parmesan cheese.
- Salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve with extra grated Parmesan cheese.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 241.3, Fat 11.8, SaturatedFat 6.7, Cholesterol 28.4, Sodium 175, Carbohydrate 29.6, Fiber 2.8, Sugar 0.3, Protein 5.6
Our Best Polenta Recipe
Polenta is a versatile dish that can be served as a main course, a side dish, or even a dessert. It is made from cornmeal, which is a type of coarsely ground corn. There are many different ways to make polenta, but this recipe for Crunchy Cheesy Oven-Baked Polenta is one of our favorites.
Here are a few tips for making the perfect polenta:
- Use fresh cornmeal. Fresh cornmeal has more flavour and texture than store-bought cornmeal.
- Use the right ratio of cornmeal to liquid. The ratio of cornmeal to liquid is important for achieving the right texture. A good rule of Thumb is to use 1 cup of cornmeal for every 3 or 4 Cups of liquid.
- Cook the polenta slowly. Cook the polenta over low heat, stirring frequently. This will allow the cornmeal to absorb the liquid and cook evenly.
- Don't overcook the polenta. Overcooked polenta will be too soft and Mushy. Cook the polenta until it is just set and still has a slightBite to it.
Conclusion
This Crunchy Cheesy Oven-Baked Polenta is a delicious and versatile dish that can be served in a variety of ways. It is perfect for a summer cookout, a fall pot luck, or a holiday dinner. The Ooey-Gooey cheese topping adds a layer of flavour and texture that makes this dish irresistible. If you are looking for a new way to enjoy polenta, this recipe is definitely worth trying!
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