Polenta is such a versatile side dish, and this version, with cream cheese and Parmesan, is so creamy and flavorful. True comfort food!
I’m the only person in my family who likes cornbread (weird, I know) so it’s been a challenge convincing my people that they’d like polenta, but this Cream Cheese Polenta finally did the trick.
What exactly is polenta, you may be asking. I like to think of it as the Italian version of grits. Although the only real difference it that polenta is made with yellow corn, and grits are made with white corn.
Because of this, polenta is a more coarse texture, while grits are typically more fine and smooth. Whether you’re making polenta or grits, I recommend starting with stone ground corn, rather than using the instant stuff.
My favorite polenta is Bob’s Red Mill brand, but any medium grind cornmeal will work in this recipe.
Then all you do is add chicken broth, butter, cream cheese and Parmesan–and maybe a splash or two of milk–and you’ll have a bowl of hearty, comforting food to serve with almost any meal.
If polenta reminds you of mashed potatoes, that’s because it can be a great substitute for mashed potatoes. We love serving it with beef stew, or as an accompaniment to heart meat ragus.
And just about anything you would serve over pasta, you can serve over polenta. So depending on the preparation, polenta is a great gluten-free alternative to pasta.
Just make sure you keep an eye on your polenta while it cooks and softens. You’ll probably need to add extra stock, or some milk during the process to keep it at the right consistency.
The addition of the cream cheese and parmesan to this recipe give the polenta a bit of tang and saltiness that really makes this side dish stand out.
If you haven’t tried polenta, give this Cream Cheese Polenta a try soon! You’ll love how it tastes, and how easy it is to make, and polenta might just become a new pantry staple at your house.
Be sure to save this Cream Cheese Polenta recipe to your favorite Pinterest board for later.
Here’s what you’ll need to make Cream Cheese Polenta
- Chicken broth
- Yellow medium-grind cornmeal
- Butter
- Cream cheese
- Parmesan cheese
- Milk
- Salt and pepper
Cream Cheese Polenta
Ingredients
- 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 cup medium-grind cornmeal or polenta such as Bob's Red Mill
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 8 ounces cream cheese cubed and softened
- 3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
- Milk or additional chicken broth as needed
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, stir together the chicken broth and cornmeal. Bring to a boil over medium heat, then reduce heat to low.
- Cook until the cornmeal is tender and most of the liquid is absorbed.
- Add the butter, cream cheese and Parmesan and stir to combine. Continue cooking and stirring until the polenta is soft and creamy, about 15 minutes.
- Add milk or additional broth as needed to reach desired consistency. Serve warm.
1 comment
Al Over
I would be hard pressed to take seriously any writer that thinks the color of the corn defines polenta from grits. That being said, cheese grits is good.