Easy and Satisfying: 5 Great Meals With Simple Polenta

Have you made the creamy no-stir polenta yet? Every time we've made it, we've been amazed at the luscious, creamy polenta we get by following this easy technique. Give it a try this weekend, and pair your perfect polenta with one of these recipes!

1. Deep Dish Polenta Pizza from Real Simple - We can only imagine how good this would be. The polenta "crust" gets a little crispy on the outside while staying soft in the middle.

2. Parmesan-Crusted Polenta with Sausage-Mushroom Ragout from Gourmet - For this dish, you let the polenta cool on a sheet pan and then cut it into rounds before broiling them until golden and then topping them with the delicious sauce.

3. Balsamic Skirt Steak with Polenta and Roasted Tomatoes from Martha Stewart - Creamy polenta pulls this simple meal together.

4. Sun-dried Tomato and Fennel Sausage Patties with Creamy Polenta from Epicurious - We could see serving this one at a big weekend brunch.

5. Squash, Pepper, and Polenta Casserole from Food & Wine - We love layering polenta into a casserole - almost like lasagna!

Made any good recipes with polenta recently?

(Images: John Kernick/Real Simple and Martha Stewart)

Comments (9)

We just had polenta with braised short ribs for dinner last night. But you know, the easiest way I've found cook polenta is to toss it in the oven. Just whisk together a cup of polenta, your water or stock (4-6 cups, depending how you like it) in a baking dish, and stick it in the oven (375) for about 45 minutes. Stir in your butter and cheese and voila, done.

posted by meleyna on January 29th 2010 at 3:43pm
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Hmm.. I like the ideas, but having never eaten polenta it bears too much of a resemblance to grits to be appealing to my palate. I can't imagine serving grits for dinner O_O

posted by jamina1 on January 29th 2010 at 4:30pm
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Jamina1 - give it a try, you will be surprised. Polenta is such a basic element that you can add so many things to it... differenct cheeses, herbs, spices... and you can have it thin and creamy or thick enough to grill it.

so good.

posted by lasiciliana on January 29th 2010 at 6:09pm
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Just made polenta last night with grilled scallop and shrimp skewers marinated in lemon and garlic and salad on the side - yummy, fast and simple!

posted by fmktjod on January 29th 2010 at 10:11pm
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I just bought some polenta because I'm sick of never having cooked it. I appreciate these recipes and any more ideas you have.

posted by acaputo on January 29th 2010 at 10:14pm
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That Real Simple pizza is delicious; I have made it for years. Normally, I find sun-dried tomatoes overwhelming, but they are so tasty in this dish! I cook the pizza in my iron skillet and it gets the best crust!

posted by matchbookhymnal on January 30th 2010 at 9:25am
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Jamina1- Think of it more like cornmeal mush! But savory, not with syrup on top! yummmmy! Sometimes I cheat and get the tube shaped package. Pre-cooked, all it needs is slicing and heating.

posted by Acer on January 31st 2010 at 2:10am
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According to my Romanian mother-in-law a woman is not fit for marriage until she can successfully make polenta. :) Old world thinking. I love the stuff but my husband has had enough. It is wonderful with stews to help soak up the gravy-juicy stuff, it holds up better than mashed potatoes.

posted by emtdmt on January 31st 2010 at 11:17am
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It's not recent, but I'd tried this recipe for polenta with a herbed cream from the Greens restaurant. It is dee-vine and a favourite!
http://cheekychilli.wordpress.com/2009/09/27/pushing-polenta/

posted by Chilli on January 31st 2010 at 4:24pm
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