Polenta Pie Recipes

MEXICAN POLENTA PIE

Steps:

• Place the pork, beans, beer, water, tomatoes, salsa, seasoning, and garlic in the slow cooker. Cook on high for 4 hours or low for 6-7 hours. When pork is cooked through and beans are tender, shred the pork in the slow cooker with two forks.
• Bring water to a boil in a large non-stick pan; add a pinch of salt. Add polenta and cook over medium low heat. It will splatter, so be careful! After a while the polenta should stop bubbling - stir in the corn. Continue stirring every once in a while to prevent it from sticking all over the bottom. It will thicken as it cooks - cook for about 20-25 minutes for a soft polenta, adding more water if necessary and seasoning it with salt and pepper.
• Preheat the broiler. Arrange the meat and bean mixture in the bottom of a large pie, casserole, or baking dish and spread the polenta over the top. Cover with cheese (I used about a cup of shredded Mozzarella). Place under a broiler for a few minutes until cheese is melted.

HOW TO MAKE PERFECT POLENTA

Steps:

• Bring water and salt to a boil in a large saucepan; pour polenta slowly into boiling water, whisking constantly until all polenta is stirred in and there are no lumps.
• Reduce heat to low and simmer, whisking often, until polenta starts to thicken, about 5 minutes. Polenta mixture should still be slightly loose. Cover and cook for 30 minutes, whisking every 5 to 6 minutes. When polenta is too thick to whisk, stir with a wooden spoon. Polenta is done when texture is creamy and the individual grains are tender.
• Turn off heat and gently stir 2 tablespoons butter into polenta until butter partially melts; mix 1/2 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese into polenta until cheese has melted. Cover and let stand 5 minutes to thicken; stir and taste for salt before transferring to a serving bowl. Top polenta with remaining 1 tablespoon butter and about 1 tablespoon freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese for garnish.

VEGETARIAN BAKED POLENTA PIE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
• To make the tomato sauce, heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large pan. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes, or until tender. Stir in garlic, tomatoes, fennel seed, basil, oregano, and red pepper. Season with salt and black pepper and let simmer for about 30 minutes over low heat.
• While the sauce is simmering, roast the vegetables. Place zucchini, yellow squash, eggplant, and red pepper on a large baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Toss. Roast for 25-30 minutes, or until vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally. When the vegetables are done roasting, set aside to cool and reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees F.
• In a large pot, bring the milk, butter, sugar and salt to a light simmer. Slowly add the polenta to the pot, whisking constantly. Once it starts to thicken, trade the whisk out for a spoon and stir until the polenta pulls away from the sides of the pot. Add half of the Parmesan cheese to the polenta and stir to combine. Pour the mixture into a 2 quart casserole dish that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Top with the other half of the parmesan.
• Evenly spread the roasted vegetables on top of the polenta. Spread the tomato sauce over the vegetables and top with grated mozzarella cheese. Place the pie in the oven and bake for 30-35 minutes, or until bubbly and the cheese is melted and slightly browned. Let rest for about 10 minutes. Cut into squares and serve warm.

POLENTA PIE WITH CHEESE AND TOMATO SAUCE

Steps:

• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 450°F. Oil a 9-inch pie plate or a 4-cup gratin dish with 1 teaspoon oil. 3Cut polenta roll crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices and line pie plate with half of slices, overlapping slices slightly to completely cover bottom of pie plate. Stir 1 tablespoon basil into 1 1/2 cups pasta sauce and spread over polenta, then sprinkle with half of mozzarella. Top with remaining half of polenta slices, then sprinkle with Parmigiano-Reggiano and remaining half of mozzarella.
• Bake until bubbling and golden, about 20 minutes. While pie bakes, heat remaining pasta sauce, basil, and oil in a small saucepan, stirring occasionally, until heated through. Let pie stand 5 minutes to firm up and cool, then serve with extra sauce on the side.
• *Found at many supermarkets and lucini.com.

MEXICAN POLENTA PIE

Steps:

• preheat oven to 375°F.
• In a skillet cook onion, sweet pepper,and garlic in 1 tablespoon hot oil until tender.
• Add turkey, chili powder, cumin and cayenne.
• Cook until turkey is no longer pink, stirring to break up meat.
• Add beans, undrained tomatoes and salsa.
• Bring to boiling; reduce heat.
• Simmer gently 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, grease a 3-quart rectangular baking dish with the remaining 1 tablespoon oil.
• Cut 1 tube polenta into 1/2-inch cubes; press evenly into prepared baking dish.
• Halve remaining polenta lengthwise and cut into 1/2-inch thick slices; set aside.
• Sprinkle 1 cup of cheese over polenta in dish.
• Top with meat mixture.
• Arrange sliced polenta over meat; sprinkle with remaining cheese and fresh tomato.
• Bake, uncovered, for 35 minutes or until bubbly.
• Sprinkle with cilantro.
• Let stand 15 to 20 minutes before serving.
• Makes 12 servings.

POLENTA

Steps:

• Bring water to a boil. Reduce to a simmer. Pour in polenta steadily, stirring constantly. Continue to stir until polenta is thickened. It should come away from sides of the pan, and be able to support a spoon. This can take anywhere from 20 to 50 minutes. Pour polenta onto a wooden cutting board, let stand for a few minutes.

POLENTA PIE

Steps:

• Combine mushrooms and 1/2 cup hot water in a small bowl; set aside.
• Lightly coat bottom and sides of a 10-inch deep-dish pie pan with cooking spray.
• Place broccoli in colander and squeeze out excess water; set aside.
• Heat oven to 400F.
• In a large heavy-bottomed pot, combine remaining 1 1/2 cups hot water, milk and salt; bring to a boil.
• Reduce heat to medium-low and slowly drizzle in cornmeal, whisking constantly.
• Continue to cook, stirring frequently, until polenta is as thick as mashed potatoes, about 6 to 8 minutes.
• Stir in broccoli, mushrooms and their liquid, 3 tablespoons Parmesan and butter.
• Spread polenta mixture evenly in prepared pan.
• Sprinkle on tomato and remaining Parmesan.
• Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until edges begin to brown.
• Cool at least 30 minutes, or serve at room temperature.

MEXICAN POLENTA PIE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375°F. Grease pie plate, 9x1 1/4 inches. Mix cornmeal, water and salt in 2-quart saucepan. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly; reduce heat to medium. Cook about 6 minutes, stirring frequently, until mixture is very thick; remove from heat. Quickly stir in egg. Let stand 5 minutes.
• Spread cornmeal mixture in pie plate. Bake uncovered 15 minutes. Spread beans over cornmeal mixture. Sprinkle with cheese and corn chips.
• Bake uncovered about 20 minutes or until center is set. Let stand 5 minutes before cutting.

POLENTA PASTIZADA----VENETIAN POLENTA PIE

Steps:

• Make sauce: Heat the oil and 2 tablespoons of butter, and gently saute the onion, carrots, celery and bacon until they change color.
• Add the veal, let this brown, then pour in the wine.
• Cook for 5 minutes.
• Peel, seed, and finely chop the tomatoes.
• Add these to the pan, season with salt and pepper, cover and cook gently for 1 1/2 hours.
• While the sauce cooks: Soak the mushrooms in warm water and finely chop the giblets.
• When the mushrooms have been soaking for 30 minutes, drain, pat dry, and chop finely.
• Bring a large pan of salted water to a boil, at least 8 1/2 cups.
• Pour in the cornmeal, stirring constantly, lower the heat, and cook gently, stirring frequently, for 30 minutes, or until it is a thick, smooth mass.
• Pour it into a square baking pan, let it cool, and then cut into 1/4 inch thick slices.
• Set aside.
• Melt 3 tablespoons butter and saute the mushrooms and giblets gently for 5 minutes.
• Sprinkle lightly with salt.
• Rub a fairly large pie dish generously with butter.
• Cover with a layer of polenta, and spread with a layer of the meat sauce, another of polenta and one of mushrooms and giblets.
• Sprinkle with grated Parmesan and add a layer of sliced Parmesan.
• Dot with butter.
• Continue in this manner until all the ingredients are used up, finishing with a sprinkling of grated Parmesan and slivers of butter.
• Bake at 475 degrees 30 minutes, or until heated through and serve very hot.

MEXICAN POLENTA PIE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375.
• Mix cornmeal, water, chicken broth and salt in medium saucepan. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly, over medium-high heat.
• Reduce heat to medium, continue cooking, stirring frequently, until mixture is very thick and stiff (2 to 5 minutes). Remove from heat; let stand 5 minutes.
• Stir in egg and half-n-half.
• Spread cornmeal mixture into buttered 9" pie plate. (*I find that using a lightly buttered sandwich-baggie over my hand works great for this, to push the cornmeal mixture evenly into the pie plate and up the sides.) Bake uncovered 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, mix salsa, jalapenos (if using)and beans in medium bowl; mash a little with a potato masher to incorporate.
• When cornmeal crust is done, spread bean mixture over evenly.
• Sprinkle with cheese and tortilla chips.
• Bake uncovered 20 minutes.
• Let stand a few minutes before slicing.
• Top individual servings with sour cream.