Polenta is a soft grain dish, made from corn meal or corn grits. Traditionally, making polenta was a slow and time-consuming process, sometimes taking hours. But with the advent of instant polenta, polenta can now be made in less time than it takes to make regular rice.
This polenta recipe was tested with Bob's Red Mill Corn Grits-Polenta, a coarse-grain corn meal. Arrowhead Mills also makes a nice coarse-grain corn grits product that works well in this recipe.
This polenta recipe is the perfect comfort food: cheesy and creamy, yet it is packed with vitamins and minerals, thanks to the addition of peppers and fresh sweet corn.
The poblano peppers give this polenta a mildly spicy taste. If you prefer your food spicier, try replacing the poblano peppers with serrano or jalapeno chili peppers. And if you can't find these peppers in your local grocery store, just use your favorite bell peppers.
While this polenta recipe calls for fresh corn, you can certainly use frozen sweet corn if you don't have access to fresh. It will still taste great.
Serve this creamy polenta with chicken marsala or chicken piccata, steamed cauliflower and broccoli and homemade Italian bread for a yummy Italian feast everyone will enjoy.
Creamy Polenta with Corn, Goat Cheese and Peppers
- 2 Tbsp. butter
- 2 medium poblano peppers, seeded and diced finely
- 2 cups fresh sweet corn, cut off the cob
- kosher salt and pepper to taste
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup polenta or corn grits
- 2 ounces goat cheese, crumbled
Heat the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the poblano peppers and fresh corn. Cook, stirring occasionally, for several minutes until the peppers start to soften and the corn starts to glisten. Season with kosher salt and pepper. Add the whole milk and water to the pot. Bring to a boil. Add the polenta, stirring constantly, until the mixture becomes thick (about 2 to 4 minutes).
Remove from the heat. Stir in the goat cheese and let the polenta rest about five minutes before serving. Serve warm.
Makes 6 to 8 servings.
Per serving (based on 6): 209 calories, 8 g fat (4 g saturated fat), 19 mg cholesterol, 31 g carbohydrate, 3 g fiber, 6 g protein, 9% vitamin A, 59% vitamin C, 10% calcium, 6% iron
For more healthy and comforting Italian recipes, see also: Italian chicken saltimbocca, chicken pasta primavera, Italian baked pasta, low-fat cannolis, easy spinach manicotti, and chicken lasagna.
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