Polenta With Three Cheeses Recipes

FOUR-CHEESE POLENTA

Steps:

• Bring 6 cups of water to a rolling boil in a heavy-bottomed 4-quart saucepan over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to the lowest possible setting, add the baking soda and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and pour the cornmeal into the water in a very slow stream from a measuring cup, all the while whisking in a circular motion to prevent lumps.
• Cook, vigorously stirring the polenta with a wooden spoon for about 10 seconds once every 5 minutes and making sure to scrape clean the bottom and corners of the pot, until the polenta has lost its raw cornmeal taste and becomes soft and smooth, about 30 minutes. If the polenta looks like it's drying out too quickly, continue cooking with the lid on.
• Stir in the Asiago, Gorgonzola, mascarpone, butter, Parmesan and garlic. Season to taste with salt and plenty of cracked black pepper. If the polenta is too thick, thin with some milk as desired. Garnish with freshly shaved Parmesan.

POLENTA WITH THREE CHEESES

Steps:

• 1. Bring water to boiling in large non-stick pot. Stir in cornmeal and salt with a wire whip until smooth. 2. Cook over medium-low heat stirring often with wooden spoon, 30 minutes. 3. Add cheese slowly while stirring, approximately 15 minutes. Polenta is done when it seperates easily from edge of pan while stirring. 4. Pour into platter and chill until firm or serve hot out of pot. 5. Polenta may be cut thin out of platter and browned in butter for leftovers.

TWO-CHEESE POLENTA

Steps:

• Bring 3 cups each chicken broth and water to a boil with 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt. Slowly stir in 1 1/4 cups polenta; reduce the heat to low and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 35 minutes. Whisk in up to 1 cup water until creamy. Stir in 1/2 pound chopped fontina and 2 tablespoons grated parmesan until melted.

CHEESY POLENTA

Steps:

• In a large pot over medium-high heat, bring milk, water, and salt to a boil. Gradually whisk in polenta. Reduce heat to low, and cover. Cook 20 minutes, until creamy, lifting the lid and stirring every 3 or 4 minutes to prevent sticking. Remove pot from stove, stir in pepper and butter. Gradually stir in cheese. Serve.

CREAMY POLENTA WITH BALSAMIC GLAZE

Steps:

• In medium saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Add 1 cup cream, milk and salt. Bring to a low simmer. Gradually whisk in cornmeal. Cook and stir for 3 minutes. , Pour polenta into a 3-quart slow cooker coated with cooking spray. Cook, covered, on low for 2 hours, stirring every 30 minutes. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, bring vinegar and sugar to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, until reduced to 1/3 cup. Just before serving, stir cheese and the remaining cream and butter into polenta. To serve, drizzle with balsamic glaze.

CREAMY POLENTA WITH GOAT CHEESE

Steps:

• Bring 1 quart of water to a boil in a medium-size saucepan. Add salt and slowly add polenta, in a thin stream, whisking constantly to avoid lumps. Continue whisking until thick and creamy, about 5 minutes. Stir in the cheeses and butter. Serve immediately.

THREE-CHEESE POLENTA GRATIN ALLA GENOVESE

Steps:

• Preheat oven on broil setting.
• Bring water, olive oil, and milk to a boil in 4-quart sauce pan. Add polenta in a thin stream, stirring constantly with a whisk. Lower heat and cook while stirring until polenta is thick as porridge, about 5 to 7 minutes.
• Remove from heat and whisk in ricotta evenly through polenta then fold in mozzarella and fontina; cheeses will begin to melt. Season with salt and pepper.
• Butter an 8x12-inch casserole or gratin dish evenly. Pour hot polenta into casserole and spread evenly with a spatula. Sprinkle grated Parmesan cheese evenly across top of polenta. Place in oven on broiler setting on middle rack and bake for 3 to 5 minutes, or until top of polenta is golden brown. Remove from oven, set aside for 5 to 7 minutes and then serve. Letting polenta rest will allow cheese to melt evenly inside casserole, which also needs to cool down because of it being so hot.

BAKED POLENTA WITH CHEESE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Grease an 8-inch square baking pan with 1 teaspoon butter. Add 2 teaspoons Parmesan cheese to the baking pan and shake gently, back and forth, until the bottom and sides are coated with Parmesan, discarding any extra.
• Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and saute until tender, about 5 minutes. Add flour and stir until well combined. Turn off heat and whisk in milk. Turn heat to medium-low and bring sauce to a simmer; cook until thickened, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
• While sauce is thickening, mix together Cheddar cheese, Parmesan cheese, and bread crumbs in a bowl.
• Layer 1/2 of the polenta slices in the prepared baking dish and top with 1/2 of the sauce. Repeat with remaining polenta and sauce. Top with cheese mixture.
• Bake in the preheated oven until cheese is melted and golden brown, about 25 minutes.

BAKED WHITE POLENTA WITH TWO CHEESES

Steps:

• Lightly butter 15x10x2-inch glass baking dish. Bring 12 cups water, 1 tablespoon salt, and garlic to boil in heavy large saucepan over high heat. Gradually add cornmeal, whisking until smooth. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook until cornmeal is very soft and mixture is thick and creamy, whisking often, about 12 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in half of cheddar cheese, all of mascarpone, 3 tablespoons butter, and 1/4 teaspoon white pepper. Transfer polenta to prepared dish. (Can be prepared 2 hours ahead. Cover and let stand at room temperature.)
• Preheat oven to 400°F. Sprinkle remaining half of cheddar cheese over polenta. Dot with remaining 1 tablespoon butter. Bake polenta until heated through and golden on top, about 25 minutes.
• Italian cream cheese, available at Italian markets and many supermarkets.

POLENTA WITH CORN AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Shuck the corn, and scrape the kernels from it to yield 2 cups.
• With a fork, mix the ricotta and the blue cheese to blend well.
• Bring stock to boil; slowly stir in polenta, mixing constantly. Reduce heat to medium, and continue mixing until mixture thickens. Stir in corn and continue cooking until mixture is thick and corn is cooked, about 2 minutes.
• Remove from heat, and quickly stir in cheese mixture. Season with salt and pepper.

CHEESY BAKED POLENTA IN TOMATO SAUCE

Steps:

• Cut out a piece of parchment paper about 16-by-12 inches/40-by-30 centimeters in size and lay onto a clean work surface.
• Prepare the polenta: Add the milk, garlic, 1 1/2 tablespoons oil, 1 teaspoon salt and a good grind of pepper to a medium saucepan. Bring to a bare simmer, stirring occasionally, over medium-high heat. Turn the heat to medium-low and slowly pour in the polenta, whisking continuously, until completely incorporated and there are no lumps. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring all the while with a spatula. When cooked, the mixture should pull away from the sides of the pan and be quite thick.
• Add the Parmesan, stirring for another 30 seconds to melt. Remove from the heat and transfer the mixture to the parchment paper. Use your hands to quickly shape the polenta into a large cylindrical shape, about 13-inches/32-centimeters long. Use the parchment paper to help you tighten the cylinder and then gently roll the whole thing in the paper, tightening as you go, then twisting in opposite directions at both ends. Refrigerate to set for about 1 hour, or longer if time allows.
• Meanwhile, make the sauce: Add the olive oil to a large, ovenproof cast-iron pan that is roughly 11-inches/28-centimeters wide, and heat over medium-high. Once hot, add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, for 6 minutes, or until softened and lightly colored.
• Stir in the garlic, red-pepper flakes and oregano, and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and their juices, sugar, a scant 1/2 cup/100 milliliters water, 3/4 teaspoon salt and a good grind of pepper. Bring to a simmer over medium-high. Turn the heat down to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes or until the sauce has thickened slightly. Set aside until needed.
• Heat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit/230 degrees Celsius.
• Gently unwrap the chilled polenta and transfer to a cutting board. Trim about 1 inch/2 to 3 centimeters off the ends and then cut the polenta into 24 (1-centimeter-thick) slices.
• Top the tomato sauce evenly with the sliced fontina, then fan out the polenta slices, overlapping slightly, so that they're spiraled to cover the top, leaving a 1-centimeter gap from the edge of the pan. Drizzle the polenta with the remaining 2 tablespoons oil and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until polenta is golden in places and the sauce is bubbling. Remove from oven and let sit for 10 minutes to settle.
• While the polenta cools, in a small bowl combine all the topping ingredients. Sprinkle a handful of the topping over the polenta and serve the remaining in a bowl alongside. Serve warm.

POLENTA & GOAT'S CHEESE STACKS

Steps:

• For the spinach, boil a kettle and put half the spinach into a colander. Pour over the hot water until it wilts, then cool completely under cold water. Tip into a clean tea towel, then wring out every last drop of water you can. Repeat with the other half.
• For the polenta, bring the stock to the boil in a large pan, then stir in the polenta in a fine, steady stream, so to avoid any lumps. Keep cooking for 5 mins, stirring all the time, until thick. Stir in the butter, Parmesan, half of the spinach, the nutmeg and plenty of seasoning, then leave to cool for a few mins.
• Meanwhile, slice each cheese into three rounds. Tear off six pieces of cling film, about 30cm across, then, while the polenta is still soft, spoon a sixth onto each square. Nestle the slices of cheese on top, then draw the edges of the cling film around and twist, to make burgershaped polenta cakes with the cheese completely sealed in the middle. Cool and chill for up to 2 days.
• Cut the squash and beetroot veg into finger-tip-wide chunks. Keeping the beetroot separate, put the squash, shallots, 2 tbsp extra virgin oil and half of the garlic and herbs into a large bowl, then rub well and leave to marinate for 1 hr. Do the same with the beetroot, remaining herbs and garlic and 1 tbsp oil.
• Heat a small knob of butter in a large non-stick frying pan, then fry the beetroot, herbs and garlic, for 10 mins on a medium heat, stirring often till starting to colour. Tip into one end of a large roasting tin. Wipe out pan, then repeat with the squash and shallots in a little more butter, browning one-third at a time for 5 mins, until tinged golden. Tip into the other end of the tin. Heat oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5. Transfer the roasting tin to the oven and roast for 40 mins. The veg can be cooled to room temperature at this stage, then covered for up to 24 hrs and crisped up in a hot oven for 15 mins on the day.
• After 40 mins scatter the sesame seeds over the roasted veg, then tip the veg into a large bowl and keep warm. With the roasting tin over a low heat, splash in the Madeira, bubble it down to 2 tbsp, then stir in the honey, balsamic, soy sauce and a little butter. Simmer until just starting to make a syrupy sauce, then stir in the olive oils. Can be made ahead and re-heated.
• Fifteen mins before serving, heat a little oil and remaining butter in a large non-stick frying pan. Once sizzling, add the polenta cakes and fry on both sides for 5 mins until golden. Fry in 2 batches and keep warm. Re-heat the remaining spinach in a pan for a few secs, with a grating more nutmeg and a good pinch of seasoning.
• Sit the polenta cakes on warmed plates, and top with some spinach. Stir parsley into the dressing. Toss the roasted veg with a few tsp, then pile the veg on top of the polenta. Drizzle a little more dressing over and around, then serve.

CREAMY POLENTA WITH PARMESAN AND MOZZARELLA

Steps:

• In a large saucepan over high heat, combine milk and cornmeal, whisking until mixture boils.
• Reduce heat to medium and simmer, whisking frequently until mixture thickens, about 15 minutes.
• Add rosemary and cheeses.
• Whisk until cheese is melted.
• Season to taste.

POLENTA TRIANGLES

Steps:

• Bring stock or water, milk, and herbs, if using, to a boil in a small, deep saucepan over medium heat. Lower heat, and slowly sprinkle in cornmeal, stirring constantly. Cook, stirring constantly, for 20 minutes over low heat. If polenta becomes too thick, add as much as 1 more cup of boiling liquid. Polenta should resemble a thick porridge. Add salt to taste. Stir in butter.
• Pour polenta onto a 9-by-13-by-1/2-inch baking sheet, and smooth out. Cover with plastic, and refrigerate until firm or overnight.
• Cut polenta into 8 triangles, and saute in butter in a nonstick skillet, or grill until heated and brown on both sides.