Side dishes often play a supporting role in a meal repertoire but that doesn’t mean they can’t be flavourful and downright delicious! Move over entrée there’s a new side dish in town! I present to you my Creamy Polenta recipe! This dish is creamy, cheesy, luxurious yet comforting and may just overshadow your main! Get ready for it!
Cornmeal is boiled in chicken stock and finished off with a good dose of Parmesan cheese, a drizzle of heavy cream and freshly ground pepper, increasing the depth of flavour and taking this polenta to new heights. My take on Cacio e pepe is sure to tantalize your taste buds while providing you with a sense of warmth that only Italian cornmeal porridge can deliver.
Serve this dish as a main or a side and indulge in something special! Take the guesswork out of meal planning by pairing this Creamy Polenta with my Roasted Chicken with Grapes, Chicken with Creamy Mushroom Sauce, Chicken Margherita or Tender Pot Roast for a balanced and satisfying meal! So, let me show you how it’s done. Grab a spoon and come and cook with me!
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Serves: 4 - 6
Ingredients:
4 cups chicken broth (See Notes below)
1 cup cornmeal
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated (See Notes below)
1/4 cup heavy cream (See Notes Below)
2 Tbsp unsalted butter
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
Additional freshly grated Parmesan cheese, as garnish
Instructions:
To a large saucepan or pot, add the chicken stock and bring it to a boil over high heat.
Once boiling, slowly add the cornmeal, whisking constantly to avoid lumps.
Reduce the heat to low and continue to cook the cornmeal for another 20 minutes, stirring every 2 minutes. You know your polenta is done when it is creamy, loose and smooth.
Once cooked, turn off the heat and add the Parmesan cheese, heavy cream, butter and ground pepper. Mix until fully incorporated.
Transfer the polenta to a large bowl or individual serving plates and garnish with an extra sprinkling of Parmesan cheese. Serve and enjoy!
Notes:
Make It Vegetarian: To make this a vegetarian dish, simply substitute the chicken stock in this recipe with vegetable stock on a 1:1 basis.
Fresh Is Best: Nothing quite compares to freshly grated Parmesan cheese! It’s rich, nutty and too savoury for words. At your local grocer, you’ll find pre-grated Parmesan cheese and the shelf-stable varieties but, I highly recommend buying a piece of fresh Parmesan and doing the grating on your own. It makes a world of difference. Once you try freshly grated, you’ll never go back!
Whisk Away: Gradually adding the cornmeal into the hot chicken stock while whisking vigorously will ensure that you end up with a lump-free and creamy polenta.
Some Extra Richness: I love adding a little heavy cream to my cooked polenta. Not only does the heavy cream make this polenta extra creamy but it adds a luxurious and rich consistency and flavour profile to this dish. To keep this polenta creamy yet light, substitute the heavy cream for 2% milk on a 1:1 basis.