This Creamy Polenta with Parmesan is a delicious side dish. Irresistibly yummy with parmesan cheese, but simple to make with just 5-ingredients: polenta, parmesan, milk, chicken broth or bone broth and butter. Yum!
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Creamy polenta is one of the most simple side dishes that you can make. It makes a perfect side dish to compliment hearty, saucy dishes like these red wine braised short ribs, smoked beef short ribs, or this sausage ragout, because it soaks up all that delicious sauce.
Also, this easy polenta recipe is super versatile.
Don’t have parmesan cheese on hand? You can use any other cheese that you may have, or simply leave it out. No milk, just use extra chicken stock. Want to make vegetarian polenta? Swap out the stock for vegetable broth. No milk? Just use extra broth/stock.
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What type of cornmeal to use for polenta?
- Cornmeal labeled as “Polenta”. This will typically be a medium ground yellow cornmeal.
- Stone-ground. This type of cornmeal retains some of the hull and germ of the kernels. It will produce polenta with wonderful, creamy texture and delicious corn flavor.
- Medium. This will produce a more creamy polenta.
- Coarse. Similar to stone-ground cornmeal, coarse cornmeal will produce a creamy polenta with a bit of texture to it.
As for what cornmeal not to use for polenta, avoid fine ground and instant polenta. Their texture will be a bit more mushy and the corn flavor not as noticeable.
Polenta vs. Grits
- Though they look somewhat similar, grits and polenta are not the same. Grits are ground finer than polenta and are typically made with white corn hominy rather than yellow corn.
What is parmesan polenta made of?
- Bone Broth or Chicken Broth (or use vegetable stock or parmesan broth)
- Whole Milk
- Polenta
- Butter
- Parmesan
- Salt and black pepper
How to make it
- Bring broth and milk to a gentle simmer and season with salt & pepper.
- Stir in polenta and simmer until thickened, about 20 minutes.
- Add butter & parmesan and stir to combine.
- Season to taste and enjoy!
Recipe FAQs
Yes. Cornmeal is naturally gluten-free because it doesn’t contain wheat or gluten.
Yes. Cornmeal is polenta, but there are different types. Many of them will work in this recipe.
How to make ahead and store
- You can make polenta up to three days ahead of time. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge. The soft polenta will firm up as it cools. See below for how to reheat and serve cheesy polenta.
How to reheat leftover polenta
- Add your desired amount of polenta to a saucepan, adding in 3 Tablespoons of liquid (milk, broth or water) for each cup of polenta.
- Heat over low heat, stirring to combine.
Or, make polenta cakes.
How to make polenta cakes
- Spread hot polenta into a baking tray.
- Refrigerate until firm.
- Slice the firm polenta into portions and fry, grill, or bake until crispy and delicious.
- You can also make polenta fries using the same method but slicing the polenta into fry-like sticks.
What to serve with it
Serve this traditional side dish with one of these yummy recipes:
- More → 25+ great options for what to serve with polenta
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Full Recipe
Parmesan Polenta
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups bone broth (or chicken broth or vegetable stock)
- 1 cup milk
- 1 cup polenta (medium or coarse ground )
- 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
- ½ cup grated parmesan
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- In a saucepan, combine chicken broth and milk; season with salt and pepper.
- Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat.
- Add polenta and reduce heat to a low simmer. Stir occasionally until combined and thickened, about 20 minutes.
- Add butter and parmesan; stir to combine (if polenta becomes too thick, add more broth or milk).
Nutrition
This polenta with chicken stock post was originally published in 2020. It was updated in 2023 to add new information. The creamy polenta recipe remains the same. Enjoy!
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