Polenta Party!

About author / Pamela Chester

Mom of two; graduate French Culinary Institute; kids cooking program instructor; Master's degree in food studies. Creates kid friendly foods and loves her slow cooker.

If you are looking for a new and different cooking idea for your kids, try throwing a polenta party! Polenta is a northern Italian peasant food that became better known in America with the growing popularity of regional Italian foods; it can now be found on many grocery shelves and on upscale restaurant menus. It is usually a cornmeal mush, and that is exactly how it is traditionally eaten – in a smooth consistency – usually with a sauce or stew. Polenta was a staple food in some parts of northern Italy, just like pasta in other areas of the country. Before the introduction of corn to Italy from the New World in the 1700s, it was made with grains or legumes, cooked to a mush. It can also be spread thinly and allowed to firm up, which allows for some exciting possibilities when cooking with kids!

While the traditional version of polenta is pretty bland and simply prepared with water and cornmeal, and served with a simple sauce or seasoning, some modern renditions of polenta are often richly finished with heavy cream and cheese and served with hearty and flavorful sauces such as wild mushroom sauce.

Polenta is made on the stove by bringing the liquid to a boil, whisking in the polenta, then turning down the heat and simmering and stirring for the rest of the cooking time. Just like grits or oatmeal, there is a quick cooking instant version made with precooked cornmeal that can be cooked in five minutes. You can also buy precooked tubes in the grocery store, making an especially easy side dish.

However, Italian cooking purists frown on instant polenta because it is hard to achieve the same creamy results as the long cooking variety that can take upwards of thirty minutes. The trouble is you have to constantly stir it to avoid making lumps. There are a couple ways to prevent the lumps without stirring and stirring and stirring. One is to the cover the polenta with wax or brown paper once it comes to a boil, cover, and place on low heat for the rest of the cooking time. Another way is to pull out the good old slow cooker, and cover and cook on low heat for six hours until thickened and creamy.

The real beauty of polenta is its versatility. Once it’s cooked, you can serve it as a side dish just like rice or pasta (it is excellent for soaking up a savory sauce) or you can spread it into a layer in a shallow pan, chill, and cut into shapes to be pan-fried or broiled.

There are two different options for setting up a party with polenta as the star: one is to spread your kitchen table with butcher paper and simply pour a river of the cooked polenta onto the paper. Everyone gets to add their favorite toppings – think roasted veggies, marinara sauce, pesto, Bolognese sauce, grilled sausage, and of course grated cheese – and dig in.

The second is to chill the polenta until firm and then cut into fun shapes and pan fry in a bit of butter, for a crisp exterior and creamy interior (you can also make polenta “fries” the same way by cutting the firm polenta into thin strips). The kids will love dipping into their favorite sauces, such as pesto, marina, or meat sauce. This is the time to get out all those fun shaped cookie cutters that you only use once a year!

Serves/Makes: 12

• 7 cups water
• 1 package (13 ounce size) instant polenta
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 3/4 cup Parmesan cheese
• 3 tablespoons butter, plus more for sauteing

Serves/Makes: 6

• 2 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 1/2 cup water
• 1 cup yellow cornmeal
• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup whipping cream
• 2 tablespoons butter
• salt and pepper, to taste