45 polenta recipes that are adorable and delicious

Created in Italy, polenta, which in some places is also known as angu, is a very simple dish that basically takes two ingredients: water and cornmeal or corn flour.

The difference in the recipes is the side dishes, which range from traditional sauces, such as sugo or bolognese, to the more elaborate ones, with mushrooms, vegetables, eggs, cheeses, among other options.

Polenta is usually cooked and can have a softer or more consistent texture, depending on one’s taste. You can also have a fried, stuffed or roasted and gratin version.

Here are some ways to prepare this eclectic and tasty dish, with recipes for all tastes:

Creamy Polenta with Meat, Poultry and Fish

1. Polenta with chicken sauce: the well-seasoned sauce uses garlic, chopped onions, chicken broth, soy sauce and tomato sauce, a mixture that gives the polenta much more flavor. It also takes chicken in small cubes and green smell to taste.

2. Polenta in the pressure cooker: practical and quick, it is made in the pressure cooker, ideal for those who want a tasty dish without having to work too hard. The recipe can be served plain, with red, white, pesto or other sauce of your choice.

3. Polenta with cheese and bolognese sauce: the perfect combination of a soft polenta, accompanied by a thicker bolognese sauce, which uses ground beef, peeled tomatoes, chopped garlic and onions, in addition to olive oil.

4. Polenta with jerky sauce: the jerky sauce adds a different touch to this traditional recipe. It is made with large chunks of muscle, chopped celery and carrots, soy sauce and other seasonings.

5. Polenta stuffed with jerky: this time the way of serving is the recipe’s differential. The traditional jerky sauce, instead of being placed on top, goes in the filling, between two layers of polenta.

6. Polenta with meat ragu: the meat, a tough coxão cut into large cubes, gets a special seasoning with broth, onion and chives, served on top of the soft polenta. Another option is to replace the hard thigh with muscle.

7. Polenta with pot meat sauce: in addition to the very succulent sauce made with pot meat, which falls apart during cooking, this recipe uses grated Parmesan cheese and is au gratin in the oven.

8. Polenta with sausage sauce: the sauce is made with pepperoni chopped into small cubes. And, when serving, between the polenta and the sauce are placed some cubes of cheese, which leave the flavor very different.

9. Polenta with flank steak and watercress ragu: the accompaniment is a dense sauce, made with flank steak cut into large pieces and tomato, with garlic and onion for seasoning. Finishing the dish, some watercress leaves on top.

10. Polenta with flank steak and mushrooms: to accompany the polenta, a drizzle of olive oil and a very different sauce, which includes funghi, shimeji, paris mushrooms, squeezed garlic and butter.

11. Polenta with pork ribs: the polenta, in this case, replaces rice and beans and is served without sauce, just with the pork rib cooked with garlic, onion, ground black pepper and a drizzle of vegetable oil.

12. Polenta with oxtail ragu: another option for those who want to serve polenta in a different way. In this recipe it is made with butter and parmesan and the sauce is a ragu made with ox tail.

13. Polenta carbonara: carbonara sauce is made with pork belly (pancetta) cut into cubes, cheese, olive oil, black pepper, caramelized onions with butter and sugar, and, to finish the dish, a raw egg yolk.

14. Polenta with cod: those who want to avoid red meats can opt for this sauce, which uses salted cod loins with peppers, onions, olive oil and parsley. Irresistible!

Creamy Vegetarian and Vegan Polentas

15. Polenta with cheese: fried polenta is a more consistent variation for those who don’t like the traditional one. In addition, this version gets a special touch of crunch with the breadcrumbs. Worth a try!

16. Polenta with shiitake: the accompaniment to serve with the polenta is a simple sauce that uses whole shiitake mushrooms, soy sauce, olive oil and chopped onion. Perfect for those who don’t eat meat or love the taste of this mushroom.

17. Polenta with mushroom ragu: the polenta cone is transformed into crunchy chips in a gluten-free and lactose-free version, served with the traditional creamy polenta and sauce with three varieties of mushrooms.

18. Polenta with shitake cream: another different version. In this recipe, the white sauce is made with fresh cream and whole shitakes, plus chopped onion and salt for seasoning.

19. Polenta with shitake and leeks: this polenta recipe uses vegetable broth, ensuring more flavor to the dish. And, to accompany, shiitake mushrooms sautéed with salt and pepper. Simple but delicious!

20. Polenta with mushroom ragu, soft egg and watercress: The eggs are served soft over polenta, which has a Paris-style mushroom sauce and shitake with nirá (Japanese chives), sake and soy sauce.

21. Polenta with Vegan Bolognese Sauce: The vegan version of the traditional bolognese sauce is made with soy protein, garlic, peppers, onions, olives, peas and chopped parsley, in addition to salt and olive oil.

22. Polenta with mushrooms in red wine: an easy recipe, but it requires patience for the dish to have the correct consistency. The sauce is made with dry red wine and Chilean funghi, in addition to some seasonings.

23. Polenta with eggplant stir-fry: cubes of eggplant seasoned with thyme are the base of the sauce that accompanies the polenta. The recipe also includes green onions, fresh thyme, tomato and onion.

24. Rustic polenta with apricot and gorgonzola: a quick version and very different, with a flavor that mixes sweet and salty. Among the ingredients are kirela, apricots, pistachios, Parmesan and gorgonzola cheeses, green onions and chicken broth.

25. Creamy polenta, soft yolk, mushroom and Parmesan cream: a more sophisticated dish, with polenta served with egg, sautéed mushrooms and a sauce made with Parmesan cheese, milk and cream.

Fried or baked polenta

26. Simple fried polenta: the secret of this polenta is to make a very consistent recipe and take it to the fridge for a few hours to firm up, be cut into cubes and then fried.

27. Stuffed and gratin polenta: the suggestion is to put a ground beef filling between two layers of polenta and gratin, but the sauce can also vary according to each person’s taste.

28. Crispy fried polenta: to make this recipe very crispy, the tip is to leave the polenta for 24 hours in the fridge and then pass it in the cornmeal before taking it to the hot oil.

29. Fried polenta with coalho cheese: the polenta has cream, butter, chicken broth and Parmesan cheese and, after fried, has coalho cheese sprinkled on top to add flavor.

30. Polenta au gratin with gorgonzola: easy to make, it uses olive oil in the preparation and is finished with grated parmesan, which makes it more creamy. Then just put gorgonzola cheese on top in the oven.

31. Polenta and lemon cake: a sweet recipe, to be served with ice cream or yogurt. The cake is similar to cornmeal, but it also takes cream and lemon zest in the preparation.

32. Roasted polenta: those who want to stay away from fried foods can opt for this oven-baked version. The preparation takes rosemary or oregano. And garlic cloves can be tossed on top.

33. Polenta au gratin: a simple recipe, but it takes cream and, after it’s ready, it’s au gratin in the oven with a layer of parmesan on top.

Creative recipes with polenta

34. Polenta mini pizza with picanha ragu: the meat left over from the barbecue is reused, in very thin slices, to make the sauce drizzled with wine. And the polenta is cut in the shape of a mini pizza, with small slices, which can be made using a wide glass.

35. Fresh corn and eggplant polenta: no cornmeal. Here the corn kernels are placed in water, with a little butter and, after being cooked, they are beaten in a food processor until they become a paste. For the sauce, the eggplant cut into cubes is mixed with tomato, oregano, oil and white wine.

36. Polenta pie: the traditional recipe was baked with some grape tomatoes – which can be substituted for cherry tomatoes or even mushrooms – and basil leaves. For seasoning, pepper, salt and olive oil.

37. Creamy couscous polenta: instead of cornmeal, the polenta was made with cornflakes and cream cheese, to make it more creamy. To accompany, tomato sauce with shredded chicken breast.

38. Minipolenta with gorgonzola: made with bacon broth and whole milk, served in small pots, drizzled with olive oil and finished with pieces of gorgonzola. Can you resist?

39. Italian polenta with lentil ragu: a different combination of polenta that takes soy cream and saffron, with ragu made of lentils with almonds, pout pepper, tomato, leek, paris mushrooms, Brazil nuts and sauce of tomato.

40. Polenta brustolada with cream and maté oil: the polenta is placed on a very hot plate so that a crust forms on the outside. Then, served with a spoon of cream on top and drizzled with olive oil heated with yerba mate.

41. Brustolada polenta canapés: after it is ready and cold, this traditional recipe is cut into small slices, like canapés. Each one has mozzarella cheese, fried pepperoni sausage and fresh thyme sprinkled on top.

42. Polenta squares: the recipe is simple, just with cornmeal and water. Once solid, it is placed on a baking sheet, then cut, briefly taken to the skillet and served with olive tapenade and a mixture of cherry tomatoes, olive oil, rosemary and garlic.

43. Sweet potato and sirloin polenta with bergamot sauce: in addition to cornmeal, the polenta has boiled and mashed sweet potatoes. The sauce, also very different, is made with pork loin, bergamot juice (gossip or tangerine), white wine, ginger, soy sauce and herbs.

Did you see how many different and delicious recipes can be prepared with cornmeal? Now just write down your favorites and play in these amazing versions of polenta!