baked polenta

I prefer making polenta at home as prepared polenta sold in supermarkets don't taste as good and fresh. I had a lot of coarse cornmeal that D had bought by mistake instead of fine cornmeal I had asked for corn bread muffins... and, polenta seemed like a great way to use it up:)

I use about 3 measures of water per measure of coarse cornmeal and cook the cornmeal in water with some garlic, onions, corn kernels and some flavoring spices. When almost done, mix in some Parmesan or Pecorino-Romano and finish cooking in the oven. Top with cheddar, if desired, and serve with thick tomato sauce.

Ingredients
1 cup coarse cornmeal
3 cups water
salt to taste
1 Tbsp ground black pepper (more or less)
½ medium onion chopped finely
3-4 garlic cloves, crushed
1 jalapeño, finely chopped
1 cup grated pecorino romano/parmesan
¼ cup grated cheddar
½ cup frozen corn kernels

2 or 3 small 4-inch or 5-inch ring mold non stick pans, or a cake tin
some cooking spray

tomato sauce

Preparation

combine water, onions, garlic, jalapeño, frozen corn kernels, some salt in a pan and bring it to boil, add the coarse cornmeal and stir well to remove lumps, cover and let it cook till almost all water is absorbed and it is cooked through; stir in ground black pepper and any other spices like parsley or oregano; off heat stir in the grated Parmesan

spray a little cooking spray in cake tin or individual ring molds; heat oven to 375°F

fill the cake tin or ring mold with the cooked polenta, bake in 375°F oven for about 10 minutes until it sets well, top with grated cheddar and bake 5 mins more until cheese melts

Serve warm with home-made tomato sauce.