Mexican Polenta Recipes

Steps:

• Bring 6 cups of water to a boil in a heavy large saucepan. Add 2 teaspoons of salt. Gradually whisk in the cornmeal. Reduce the heat to low and cook until the mixture thickens and the cornmeal is tender, stirring often, about 15 minutes. Turn off the heat. Add the butter, and stir until melted.

Steps:

• Bring water and salt to a boil in a large saucepan; pour polenta slowly into boiling water, whisking constantly until all polenta is stirred in and there are no lumps.
• Reduce heat to low and simmer, whisking often, until polenta starts to thicken, about 5 minutes. Polenta mixture should still be slightly loose. Cover and cook for 30 minutes, whisking every 5 to 6 minutes. When polenta is too thick to whisk, stir with a wooden spoon. Polenta is done when texture is creamy and the individual grains are tender.
• Turn off heat and gently stir 2 tablespoons butter into polenta until butter partially melts; mix 1/2 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese into polenta until cheese has melted. Cover and let stand 5 minutes to thicken; stir and taste for salt before transferring to a serving bowl. Top polenta with remaining 1 tablespoon butter and about 1 tablespoon freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese for garnish.

Steps:

• preheat oven to 375°F.
• In a skillet cook onion, sweet pepper,and garlic in 1 tablespoon hot oil until tender.
• Add turkey, chili powder, cumin and cayenne.
• Cook until turkey is no longer pink, stirring to break up meat.
• Add beans, undrained tomatoes and salsa.
• Bring to boiling; reduce heat.
• Simmer gently 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, grease a 3-quart rectangular baking dish with the remaining 1 tablespoon oil.
• Cut 1 tube polenta into 1/2-inch cubes; press evenly into prepared baking dish.
• Halve remaining polenta lengthwise and cut into 1/2-inch thick slices; set aside.
• Sprinkle 1 cup of cheese over polenta in dish.
• Top with meat mixture.
• Arrange sliced polenta over meat; sprinkle with remaining cheese and fresh tomato.
• Bake, uncovered, for 35 minutes or until bubbly.
• Sprinkle with cilantro.
• Let stand 15 to 20 minutes before serving.
• Makes 12 servings.

Steps:

• In pot, bring 4 cups salted water to boil; reduce heat to medium-low. Slowly stir in cornmeal.
• Stir until mixture is thick and creamy, about 5 minutes.
• Stir in butter, 1 cup cheese, scallion, chipotle and salt until cheese and butter are melted.
• Serve sprinkled with remaining 2 T cheese.

Steps:

• Place chicken in a large skillet and cover with water; add chopped cilantro, oregano, onion and peeled clove of garlic.
• Cook chicken breasts over medium heat about 10 to 15 minutes; chicken should no longer be pink in center; remove chicken from pan and let cool; reserve liquid.
• Add ancho peppers to the reserved liquid in pan; cover and soak about 10 minutes (no heat on pan); drain liquid into a bowl.
• (Sometimes, I add the whole ancho to the pand and seed after they are softened.) Shred cooled chicken and set aside.
• Place peppers, garlic, tomato sauce and cumin in blender and blend on high until smooth, about 2 minutes; if you have an immersion blender you can add everything to the pan and blend.
• Pour mixture into a saucepan, add chicken and heat through about 3 or 4 minutes; use drained poaching liquid to thin a bit if it seems too dry.
• To make polenta, bring water to a boil; add salt.
• Add about 1/2 cup of the water to the cornmeal to make a paste or slurry; Slowly add cornmeal slurry to the boiling water, stirring until smooth; after 10 minutes add Splenda and corn kernels; cook another 3 to 5 minutes.
• Spoon 1/4 of the cooked polenta onto the serving plate; top with 1/4 of chicken and chili mixture; garnish with additional cilantro (optional) or chopped scallions (optional).
• OR If you prefer polenta wedges, coat a 9 x 9-inch pan with cooking spray and pour polenta into pan; smooth with a spatula; let polenta to firm up, about 3 minutes; cut into quarters and remove from pan.
• Place polenta slices in a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray; cook on both sides until crispy, about 2 to 4 minutes per side.
• Place polenta wedge onto the serving plate; top with 1/4 of chicken and chili mixture; garnish with additional cilantro (optional) or chopped scallions (optional).

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375.
• Mix cornmeal, water, chicken broth and salt in medium saucepan. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly, over medium-high heat.
• Reduce heat to medium, continue cooking, stirring frequently, until mixture is very thick and stiff (2 to 5 minutes). Remove from heat; let stand 5 minutes.
• Stir in egg and half-n-half.
• Spread cornmeal mixture into buttered 9" pie plate. (*I find that using a lightly buttered sandwich-baggie over my hand works great for this, to push the cornmeal mixture evenly into the pie plate and up the sides.) Bake uncovered 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, mix salsa, jalapenos (if using)and beans in medium bowl; mash a little with a potato masher to incorporate.
• When cornmeal crust is done, spread bean mixture over evenly.
• Sprinkle with cheese and tortilla chips.
• Bake uncovered 20 minutes.
• Let stand a few minutes before slicing.
• Top individual servings with sour cream.

Steps:

• In large bowl, thoroughly mix together the hamburger, onions, pepper, tortilla chips, polenta and egg.
• In a separate bowl combine 1/2 can Ro-Tel, 1/2 can tomato sauce, tomato paste, onion flakes, chili powder, cumin, basil, oregano, garlic powder, salt, pepper and brown sugar.
• Add the seasoned sauce to the hamburger mix and combine well.
• Place 1/2 of the meat mixture into an oven proof baking pan (I use a muffin tin)
• Make a layer of cheese over the meat stopping 1/2 inch away from the outer edge.
• Place the remaining hamburger mix over the cheese, pressing lightly around the edges to keep the cheese from dripping out.
• Mix together the remaining Ro-Tel and tomato sauce and spread evenly over the top of the meatloaf.
• Bake at 350 for 1 hour.
• Remove from oven and place a layer of cheese over the top and dot with jalepeno slices if desired.
• Return to oven for 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.
• Remove from oven and let cool 5 minutes.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375ºF.
• Spread half the salsa onto bottom of 9-inch square baking dish sprayed with cooking spray; cover with layers of half each of the polenta, chicken, beans and cheese. Repeat layers; cover.
• Bake 30 min. or until heated through. Let stand 10 min. before cutting to serve.
• Sprinkle with onions.

Steps:

• Put the cornmeal in the top of a double boiler and stir in 1 cup water. When well mixed, stir in 3 1/2 cups boiling water. Cook over a very low flame, stirring constantly, until the mixture comes to a boil. Add salt. Place over hot water and continue cooking for 35 minutes to 1 hour.
• Add butter and a lavish sprinkling of grated Parmesan cheese, or grate the cheese over the polenta just before serving. Serve the polenta with game, pork or with spicy Mexican food.