Baked Butternut Squash And Cheese Polenta Recipes

BUTTERNUT SQUASH-BACON POLENTA BITES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment.
• Arrange the bacon in a single layer on the baking sheet. Bake until crispy, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove to a cutting board.
• Add the butternut squash to the baking sheet. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt and a few cracks black pepper. Toss the squash until it is fully coated in the bacon fat and spices. Bake until the squash is tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Set aside. Leave the oven on.
• Meanwhile, spray a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
• Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the leeks and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and starting to brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the thyme, paprika and garlic and cook for 1 minute more. Season with salt and pepper.
• Pour in the chicken stock and 2 cups water. Use a wooden spoon to scrape up any remaining browned bits. Bring to a boil and slowly add the polenta, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. Continue to cook, stirring frequently, until the polenta is thickened and cooked, about 5 minutes. Stir in 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper, then taste for seasoning. Whisk together the eggs and 1/2 cup of the Parmesan in a bowl or measuring cup. Whisk the egg mixture into the polenta, then pour the polenta into the prepared baking dish.
• Chop the bacon and mix it into the squash. Spoon the squash and bacon evenly over the polenta, then use a spatula or your hands to press it into the warm polenta. Top with the remaining 1/2 cup Parmesan. Bake until set and brown on top, 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool to room temperature, then cut into squares and serve as finger food.

CHEESY BAKED BUTTERNUT SQUASH POLENTA

Steps:

• Combine 1 Tbsp. salt and 6 cups water in a large pot and bring to a boil. Gradually whisk in polenta, then cook over medium-high heat, whisking constantly, until polenta just begins to thicken, about 5 minutes. Stir in squash, reduce heat to medium-low, and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until polenta is thick and no longer gritty, and squash mashes easily when pressed with the back of a spoon, 30-40 minutes.
• Mix in milk and nutmeg, increase heat to medium-high, and cook, stirring constantly and smashing squash with the back of spoon, until squash is dissolved into the polenta, 10-15 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in Parmesan and 1/4 cup butter until melted. Let cool slightly.
• Meanwhile, heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high until shimmering. Add sage and cook, stirring, just until leaves are lightly crisped and darker in color, about 1 minute. Using a slotted spoon, transfer sage to a paper towel-lined plate to drain.
• Grease a shallow 3-qt. baking dish with butter, then transfer polenta mixture to baking dish. Scatter Fontina cheese over and press down lightly with spoon to submerge. Top with crisped sage. Let cool to room temperature, then cover and chill overnight and up to 2 days.
• Preheat oven to 375°F. Uncover dish and bake casserole until bubbly and lightly browned on top, 30-35 minutes. Let sit 10 minutes before serving.

EASY OVEN-BAKED REAL POLENTA (NOT INSTANT)

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.

BUTTERNUT SQUASH POLENTA WITH SAUSAGE AND ONION

Steps:

• In a large pot over medium-high heat, combine 4 1/2 cups water, the salt and the bay leaf. Bring to a boil. Slowly whisk in polenta. Stir in squash. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring frequently, until polenta and squash are very tender, 20 to 30 minutes. If the mixture gets too thick while cooking, add a little more water to the pot. Stir in butter and black pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
• While polenta cooks, heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add sausage, rosemary and fennel seeds if using. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the meat is golden and cooked through, 7 to 10 minutes. (Do this in batches if necessary, adding oil if the pan looks dry.) Transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate.
• Add more oil to the skillet if it looks dry, then add onions. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are tender and golden, 10 to 15 minutes. Return sausage to pan and stir to heat through. Spoon polenta into bowls and top with sausage and onion, garnished with rosemary if you like.

BUTTERNUT SQUASH MAC AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
• Place butternut squash, cut-side down, on a baking sheet.
• Roast squash in the preheated oven until soft, 40 to 50 minutes. Remove squash flesh from skin and set aside. Reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil; cook the rotini at a boil until tender yet firm to the bite, about 8 minutes; drain.
• Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Whisk flour and mustard into melted butter until smooth, about 1 minute. Gradually whisk milk into flour mixture until the mixture has the texture of heavy cream, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from heat.
• Stir butternut squash, white Cheddar cheese, and Cheddar cheese into milk mixture until cheese is melted. Stir rotini into cheese mixture. Pour cheese mixture into a 9x13-inch baking dish. Top with bread crumbs.
• Bake in the preheated oven until bread crumbs are golden, about 10 minutes.

BAKED BUTTERNUT SQUASH-AND-CHEESE POLENTA

Steps:

• 1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Arrange the squash on a large oiled baking sheet and roast for 30 minutes, until tender. Transfer the squash to a bowl and mash coarsely. (You should have about 1 1/2 cups.) Spread the pine nuts on a pie plate and toast in the oven for 4 minutes, until golden. Coarsely chop the nuts. 2. Meanwhile, in a skillet, heat the 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the onion and sage and season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until golden, 25 minutes; add a few tablespoons of water if the onion looks dry. 3. In a saucepan, bring the 6 cups of water to a boil. Whisk in the polenta and 1 teaspoon of salt. Cook over very low heat, stirring frequently, until tender, about 35 minutes. Stir in 1 tablespoon of butter along with the mashed squash, pine nuts, onion, Gouda, and half of the grated Parmigiano cheese. Pour the hot polenta into a buttered large cast-iron skillet. Flatten the top of the polenta slightly without spreading it to the edges; refrigerate until firm, about 3 hours. 4. Rub the surface of the polenta with softened butter and sprinkle with the remaining grated Parmigiano cheese. Bake in a 375 degrees F oven for 1 hour, until the top and side are lightly browned and crisp. Let stand for 20 minutes before cutting it into wedges.

POLENTA WITH BUTTERNUT SQUASH

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°F. Arrange squash, cut side up, in large roasting pan. Place garlic cloves in squash cavities. Drizzle oil over. Sprinkle with dried sage, salt and pepper. Cover with foil and bake until squash is tender, about 1 hour 35 minutes. Cool slightly. Peel squash and garlic. Transfer to processor and puree.
• Combine broth, 1 3/4 cups water and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt in heavy large saucepan. Bring to boil. Gradually whisk in polenta. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook until mixture is very thick and creamy, stirring often, about 20 minutes. Stir in fresh sage and 3 cups squash puree (reserve any remaining puree for another use). Cook until heated through, about 2 minutes. Stir in cheese. Season with salt and pepper. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill. Stir over medium-low heat until heated through.)

BUTTERNUT SQUASH POLENTA

Steps:

• Cook onion in 3 tablespoons butter in a 10-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat, stirring, until very soft, about 8 minutes. Stir in squash and cook, stirring occasionally, 2 minutes.
• Bring water, milk, salt, and pepper to a boil in a 4-quart heavy pot. Add polenta in a thin stream, whisking. Cook polenta at a bare simmer, stirring with a long-handled whisk and turning down heat as needed to prevent spattering, 5 minutes.
• Stir in squash mixture and cook, stirring, 3 minutes. Remove from heat, then stir in cheese and remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Serve immediately.