Creamy Parmesan Polenta

Often overlooked for other creamy sides like mashed potatoes or cheesy grits, polenta deserves its place in the spotlight. Slightly sweet and extra-creamy, it’s a perfect pairing for any saucy, flavorful dishes (we’re lookin’ at you, beef ragu) to soak up every last bite. This recipe gets an added cheesy boost from Parmesan, and a generous amount of butter to nail that optimal creaminess. Read on for all of our top tips on how to make this date-night-worthy side: 

How to make the best polenta:
First things first: To make our version, look out for coarse-ground cornmeal, sometimes labeled as polenta. Best when cooked low and slow, it’s likely you’ll be keeping your polenta on the lowest possible heat setting during step 2. Your mixture should barely be bubbling, not sputtering out of the pan. We add a pinch of baking sodato kickstart the gelatinization of the cornmeal, resulting in creamier polenta in less time. If you notice your polenta appears to be too thick early in the cooking process, whisk in ½ cup water. 

The last minute butter addition is crucial for creaminess, but Parm is optional. Sub in your favorite cheese, or forgo cheese all together. 

Serving ideas.
Creamy, sweet polenta is one of our favorite accompaniments for stewed meats like lamb ragu or saucy vegetable dishes like ratatouille. Our polenta recipe with wild mushroom ragu is a perfect vegetarian option, but serving this alongside grilled shrimp would also be extremely delicious.

Leftovers and storage.
If you’ve got leftovers, we have good news: you can make polenta fries! Pour any leftovers into a greased container (like a loaf pan) and let chill for at least two hours in the fridge. Once it’s firmed up, transfer to a cutting board and cut evenly sized fries. Coat with oil and seasonings and bake at 450° until crispy.If you’d like to store the polenta as-is to use later one, simply place in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. 

If you made this, let us know how it went in the comment section below!