Hai…its been awhile. How was Thanksgiving? Did you stuff yourself silly?! This is the best part of the year, from Thanksgiving to Christmas it is just a non-stop feeding frenzy. Also, the only time of year where its expected to have to unbutton the pants or admit defeat and wear sweat pants…just embrace it. Which is not a bad thing…it makes more room for things like…this amazing and creamy white cheddar polenta!
I needed something warm and filling to eat, it’s getting really cold and its going to snow today. I like winter but I could do without the wind…it was so windy the other day! It was the kind of wind that literally stops you in your tracks because it is so strong. I made this white cheddar polenta and it really hit the spot and warmed me right back up. Its creamy and the sharpness of the cheddar went really well with the subtle flavor of polenta. I definitely recommend using fresh or frozen corn kernels, it’s a really nice pop of flavor and adds great texture to the dish.
Sooo…how’s life? It feels crazy to me that this fall semester has just flown by! Its been four months since I’ve moved to Colorado, and it feels surreal. I feel like I haven’t taken advantage of all of the activities and events offered in the area. Soon…I hope to rectify that and force myself to develop some hobbies during my time here. Maybe ice sculpting?! There hasn’t been much ice lately but snow…snow is beautiful and it has been snowing for the past day or so and really makes it feel like you are in a winter wonderland!
Speaking of winter, it is that time of year to buying gifts for family and friends! I am a procrastinator to the nth degree and have definitely been THAT person scrambling the day before Christmas to get the last few gifts. Maybe this year will be different but…lets be real.
Anyhoo…back to this recipe. I want to say a couple of things about it because it is a little different from your standard recipes for polenta. First, for this recipe I used grains called polenta which is much coarser than cornmeal which is more common to use. I chose it because I really like the texture it would add to the dish and also just wanted to try something different. Second, the cook time a lot longer than your typical recipes that call for a cook time of 20 minutes. That is definitely not long enough to really cook polenta properly. It really makes a difference by increasing the amount of liquid and cook time for polenta. It takes polenta to a whole different level.
| Prep Time | 20 minutes |
| Cook Time | 60-75 minutes |
| Servings |
4-6 people
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- 1 cup polenta
- 4-5 cups water
- 1 cup vegetable stock
- 1-1 1/2 cup corn kernels (fresh or frozen)
- 1-1 1/2 cup sharp white cheddar (shredded)
- black pepper (season to taste)
Ingredients
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- Bring the water and vegetable stock to a boil in a medium sized heavy pot. Slowly add the polenta and stir with a wire whisk to prevent clumping. Continue to whisk mixture for another 2-3 minutes. Then turn the heat down to low.
- You want to cook your polenta for at least an hour, especially since the polenta is a lot coarser than cornmeal. Stir every 10 minutes or so. If your polenta becomes too thick, add a 1/2 cup of vegetable stock or water.
- Once polenta is cooked, remove from the heat and stir in the corn and cheese. Finish with adding black pepper and make sure everything is incorporated.
This recipe was adapted from here. If you are using fine cornmeal, decrease the amount of liquid you start with by 1 cup and reduce the time to 50-60 minutes. If you like really firm polenta, reduce the amount of liquid an additional cup.