baked polenta

Incredibly delicious Polenta Fries baked to perfection with a crispy and crunchy outside and soft and creamy middle. The easiest side dish or appetizer, serve with a juicy steak or delicious dips for dunking!

Crispy Baked Polenta Fries

polenta

olive oil

rosemary (finely chopped)

oregano

salt and pepper ((if needed, see notes))

quick-cook polenta ((190 grams))

chicken stock ((800 milliliters))

tbsp butter ((60 grams))

½ cup freshly grated parmesan ((30 grams))

sea salt flakes ((kosher salt))

pepper

Pre-heat the oven to 430F/220C.

Remove the pre-cooked polenta from it’s packet and pat dry if it has any excess moisture.

Cut the polenta into fries, try to make them roughly the same size so they cook evenly.

Add the olive oil, herbs and pepper (no salt) to a large bowl and add the polenta fries. Toss to coat them in the oil and herbs.

Place the fries on a baking sheet in an even layer and bake for 30-40 minutes until golden brown and crispy.

If using pre-cooked polenta

Add the chicken stock to a medium sized pot and bring to a boil.

Once boiling turn the heat down to a simmer and slowly add the polenta whilst stirring until all the polenta is fully incorporated.

Next, add the butter, parmesan, herbs and salt and stir until the butter has melted and the polenta has thickened slightly (2-3 minutes).

Pour the cooked polenta into a lined baking dish (10x8 inch) and spread it out evenly. Let the polenta cool completely then chill in the fridge covered with plastic wrap for 1-2 hours or overnight.

Once chilled and completely set, remove the polenta from the tray and cut into fries.

Place the fries on a baking tray and brush with olive oil. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes until golden brown and crispy. Serve with as a side or appetizer.

If making polenta from scratch (quick-cook)

https://embed.mediavine.com/videos/dvqmtk4jvlqqj5lqbbs0

Vegetarian Polenta Lasagna with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce - an easy gluten-free lasagna recipe with the option to use store-bought polenta from a tube. If making polenta from scratch, allow 8 hours of refrigeration time (or make the day before) Vegan Adaptable or add Italian sausage for extra heartiness. Updated 10/19

Polenta Lasagna with Smoky Red Pepper Sauce

Ricotta

mozzarella cheese

salt, pepper and nutmeg

onion, diced

4-6 garlic cloves, rough chopped

mushrooms (sliced)

salt

Italian seasoning

baby

red pepper (out of a jar is OK) about 1/2 cup – 3/4 cup total

x tomatoes

smoked paprika

cumin

salt and pepper

sugar

basil

lemon zest

garlic

water

garlic powder

cornmeal

If making with homemade Polenta- make this first and let cool 6-8 hours in the fridge to set up. ( You could make this ahead, along with the sauce, filling and pesto drizzle.)

Preheat oven to 400F (prep and assembly will take around 45 minutes- with store-bought polenta)

Make filling

Heat 1-2 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Saute the onion, stirring until tender, about 5 minutes, add garlic and cook 2 more minutes.  Turn skillet to medium ( or medium-low)  and add the mushrooms and add salt pepper and Italian seasoning, and saute until the mushrooms release their liquid and this evaporates, about 10 minutes. Add the chopped spinach and wilt and mix to combine, adding a splash of water if needed. Cook-off any liquid. Adjust salt to your taste.

While the filling is cooking, make the Smoky Red Pepper sauce

  Add the diced tomatoes (and juices) to the blender and add the drained roasted pepper. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil, salt, pepper, smoked paprika, cumin and Italian herbs. Blend until creamy and smooth. If the sauce is too thick to get motor running, add a little water (a tablespoon at a time) just to get it going. Taste. It should have a sweet smoky flavor.

Prep the two tubes of polenta if using store-bought

(Remember to taste it)  It&#8217;s easiest to cut the tube in half. Then in quarters, so each quarter yields 3 equal slices. So 12 slices each from each tube about 3/4 inch thick.

Assemble

Spray a 9&#215;13 inch baking dish with olive oil. Place 1/2-2/3  cup sauce on the bottom, coating bottom evenly. Add the first layer of polenta. Top with all the filling, spreading it out evenly. Dot with spoonfuls of ricotta. Sprinkle lightly with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Top with shredded cheese. Pour 1/2 cup sauce lightly over the cheese. Then top with final layer of polenta. Pour sauce over top (you may not need all) and using a spatula , evenly coat the polenta evenly. Save the remaining sauce for touching up after your remove the foil.  You could do this all ahead and refrigerate for 24 hours.

At this point, you could add more cheese to the top, or keep it a little leaner, up to you. Cover tightly with foil and bake 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake uncovered for 15-20 more minutes until bubbling and warmed through. If you want it &#8220;saucy&#8221;, add more sauce.

While it&#8217;s baking make the Pesto Drizzle. To make the pesto drizzle, simply place ingredients in a food processor and pulse until combined.

When the polenta lasagna is finished cooking you could drizzle it lightly with the pesto or serve it on the side.

Loved this! I added Field Roast vegan Italian sausage and Miyoko's fresh mozzarella plus a bit of Daiya mozzarella, and used the store-bought polenta. Absolutely delicious!

I was looking for more vegetarian dishes for some meat lovers in my life and THIS WAS A HIT! I added red pepper flakes for some heat but that’s just a personal preference. This will definitely become a dinner time staple.

Made this. It was delicious. I never thought of using polenta instead of pasta. I’m on WW so had to make it somewhat point friendly. I used 2% low fat cottage cheese and fat free mozzarella. 2 tbs combination of ghee and olive oil to add flavor and to sauté mushrooms garlic and spinach. I used tube polenta which was surprisingly low in points. And jar marinara sauce. What a lovely change for lasagna. Thanks for the recipe.

I made this and it was delicious! For the filling I used mushrooms, spinach, roasted butternut squash and ground italian sausage. Do you think leftovers after baking can be frozen?

So so good!! I didn’t make the basil pesto and it was still amazing!! The tofu ricotta comes out really well once baked. I loveeee red pepper so naturally the sauce appealed to me :) Would definitely make this again!!!

I followed this recipe exactly, and was disappointed that it wasn’t that good. My bottom layer of polenta completely disintegrated, making a soupy mess. It was also very bland for our tastes. I’ve tried many of your recipes and have always had great success, but not this time. Luckily I was able to scoop out a good deal of the filling and used it to make a new lasagna using lasagna noodles, more sauce and a bit more cheese.

Made this for a dinner party, used the Trader Joe’s polenta and peppers. Turned out by fabulous and everyone loved it!! Served with a salad. One of our favorite dishes!

This was delicious! I used smoked red tomatoes from a can. I used a bigger baking tray and only had one layer of polenta at the bottom, sauce at the top. Used fresh mozzarella instead of shredded. 
The zing from the pesto drizzle is the jewel to this recipe.
Amazing.

https://content.jwplatform.com/videos/KRpd63Gm.mp4

How to make Polenta Lasagna with Smoky Red Pepper Sauce – a tasty, gluten-free lasagna recipe using optional store-bought polenta. A vegan-adaptable main dish – perfect for holiday gatherings, that can be made ahead! Vegan adaptable!

Polenta Lasagna Video

Transform plain polenta into delicious fries! These crispy baked polenta fries are made from scratch and baked to perfection with a crisp-golden surface and a rich, velvety center. Serve these crunchy fries as a side or appetizer with dips and sauces.

instant polenta (Note 1)

salt (Note 2)

thyme leaves

sage (chopped)

rosemary (chopped)

herbs

Sea salt

Black pepper

Add the water into a medium-size pot and bring to a boil. Add the salt. 

As soon as the water starts to boil, turn the heat down and slowly add the polenta while whisking to avoid lumps.

Keep stirring and cook for around 5 to 10 minutes (check your polenta package instructions). Then add the chopped herbs, a bit of pepper, and mix well.

Lightly oil a baking dish (9x13 inch) or line it with parchment paper, and spread the polenta in an even single layer. Let it cool down for 30 minutes to an hour (you can also chill overnight). You can speed up the process by putting the baking dish in the fridge or freezer.

Preheat the oven to 430F (220C).

Once the polenta is set, remove it from the tray and cut them into fries with a sharp knife.

Place the fries on a baking tray, brush them with olive oil, spread them in an even layer, and sprinkle with extra fresh herbs. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes, turn them around, and bake for another 15 minutes until golden and crispy.

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Polenta Lasagna with Smoky Red Pepp...

Crispy Baked Polenta Fries

Top 3 baked polenta recipes from across the web

The most viewed baked polenta recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engineic_arrow_forward_48px

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Crispy Baked Polenta Fries

Polenta Lasagna with Smoky Red Pepp...

Crispy Baked Polenta Fries

The most viewed baked polenta recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine