I made polenta for the first time over a year ago and I loved it from that first bite. Creamy, smooth and buttery, polenta is a side dish that doesn’t get nearly enough credit.
I served this cheesy stove-top polenta with the Mexican Pork Chile Verde I made earlier this week and it was the perfect match for the spicy saucy pork.
Creamy Cheesy Polenta
Servings: 4 -6 servings
Ingredients
- 2 cups milk
- 2 cups water
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup cornmeal
- 2-3 tablespoons butter
- 1/3 cup grated Pecorino Romano or Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Heat the water, milk and salt in a saucepan over medium high heat. When it is steaming, slowly pour in the cornmeal while whisking the mixture in the pan.
- Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and continue stirring occasionally over the next 10-15 minutes while the mixture thickens.
- Remove the thickened polenta from the stove and add the butter and the cheese. Stir until smooth and creamy. Taste, adjust the salt if needed and serve warm. Enjoy!
Notes
If you are making this in advance, cover and refrigerate. Reheat in the microwave, about 4-5 minutes on high. Stir vigorously to fluff after reheating.
Tried this recipe?Mention @barefeetkitchen or tag #barefeetkitchen!
Joanne says
I am such a sucker for a good bowl of polenta! This looks like creamy heaven!
Big Dude says
It looked great under the chile verde, but I may like the looks of it with the butter pat even better. It looks as though your recipe delivered the perfect texture. I like to make extra to mold in a bread pan for slicing and frying for breakfast – I'll use this recipe next time.
Sue/the view from great island says
I've recently started cooking my polenta with milk and I love it because it stays soft even after cooling, so I can use the leftovers. Yours looks perfect!
Chris says
Have to try polenta at some point. Being a southern dude, I always end up just doing stone ground grits:)
mommasan says
I think you meant boiling not steaming because you can’t turn steaming down to a simmer it hasn’t boiled yet.
Robin says
I love this recipe! It’s simple and delicious!
I made it to go along with a pork tenderloin and my husband and I both loved it.
Mary Younkin says
I’m so happy to hear that, Robin!