Quick & Easy Polenta
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Enjoy a warm, comforting bowl of creamy polenta in just ten minutes!
Polenta is a traditional Italian dish made from cornmeal. It can be served hot as a comforting porridge-like dish or chilled and sliced for grilling or frying. It has a subtle corn flavor that takes well to generous amounts of butter and cheese, and it makes an excellent base for saucy dishes, such as chicken cacciatore or meatballs. There are two types of polenta: traditional and instant. Traditional polenta is made with coarsely ground cornmeal and takes up to an hour to cook with frequent stirring. Instant polenta, on the other hand, is made with pre-cooked, dried and finely ground cornmeal, and takes just minutes to prepare. Although the traditional version has a more rustic texture and pronounced corn flavor, I usually opt for instant polenta for convenience. It still delivers great taste, and you can’t beat a side dish that can be whipped up in 10 minutes!
What You’ll Need To Make Quick & Easy Polenta
Instant polenta is usually located in the international section of the grocery store, near the other Italian foods. If you can’t find it, you can use regular medium or coarse cornmeal and grind it in a food processor before using (you’ll have to increase the cook time to 12 to 15 minutes).
Step-by-Step Instructions
Add the cold milk, cold water, salt, and pepper to a medium pot. (Starting with cold milk and water reduces the chance of any lumps.)
Turn the heat to medium-high and slowly whisk in the polenta. Allow the liquid to come to a boil, which will take 3 to 5 minutes, whisking every minute or so.
Once the mixture comes to a boil, reduce the heat to low so it begins to simmer. Cook uncovered, whisking regularly, for about 3 minutes, or until the polenta has become very creamy and thickened.
Turn off the heat and add the butter and Parmigiano Reggiano (if using).
Stir until the butter and cheese have melted completely.
Serve immediately with a pat of butter, a drizzle of olive oil, and more cheese, if desired.
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Quick & Easy Polenta
Enjoy a warm, comforting bowl of creamy polenta in just ten minutes!
Ingredients
- 3 cups cold whole milk (see note)
- 1 cup cold water
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup instant polenta (see note)
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small cubes, plus more for serving
- ½ cup (2 ounces) finely grated Parmigiano Reggiano, plus more for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Add the cold milk, cold water, salt, and pepper to a medium pot. (Starting with cold milk and water reduces the chance of any lumps.) Turn the heat to medium-high and slowly whisk in the polenta. Allow the liquid to come to a boil, which will take 3 to 5 minutes, whisking every minute or so.
- Once the mixture comes to a boil, reduce the heat to low so it begins to simmer. Cook uncovered, whisking regularly, for about 3 minutes, or until the polenta has become very creamy and thickened.
- Turn off the heat and whisk in the butter and Parmigiano Reggiano (if using) until the butter and cheese have melted completely. Serve immediately with a pat of butter and more cheese, if desired.
- Note: If you don't have whole milk (or don't want to purchase a whole carton), feel free to use 2% or skim milk; simply replace the water in the recipe with more milk.
- Note: If your supermarket does not carry instant polenta, regular cornmeal can be used. Simply blend the cornmeal in a food processor until it is finely ground and increase the cooking time to 12 to 15 minutes, stirring frequently.
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (4 servings)
- Calories: 360
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated fat: 11 g
- Carbohydrates: 40 g
- Sugar: 10 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 9 g
- Sodium: 667 mg
- Cholesterol: 49 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Gluten-Free Adaptable Note
To the best of my knowledge, all of the ingredients used in this recipe are gluten-free or widely available in gluten-free versions. There is hidden gluten in many foods; if you're following a gluten-free diet or cooking for someone with gluten allergies, always read the labels of your ingredients to verify that they are gluten-free.
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Hello Jenn,
Love this QUICK, easy and flavorful polenta recipe! The flavor profile is spot on. Thanks for another amazing recipe Jenn!
Great recipe and turned out perfectly creamy without lumps:) super easy too, my 10yo was able to make it. Thank you Jen
Is semolina the same as polenta/cornmeal? I have semolina to make galaktoburiko, a Greek custard pastry. Can I use it to make polenta?
Hi Corrine, Semolina and polenta are two different things; semolina is made with wheat and polenta is made from corn. I’d stick with the polenta for this.