Grilled Polenta with or without Cheese (How to Use Leftover Polenta)
Grilled polenta, with or without cheese, is indescribably delicious, simple and nutritious. Bring grilled polenta into your weekly menu; just a warning, it’s addictive!
Recently, I posted the recipe for basic polenta with rapini.
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Now, I want to show you how to use that polenta the next day, to make grilled polenta, or whenever you have leftover polenta. There are a few key things you’ll need to know, but it’s a super simple recipe, if you can even call it a “recipe.” Many ask,
What Can I do With Leftover Polenta?
You can do so many things with leftover polenta! From this grilled polenta to polenta lasagna, polenta appetizers, polenta chips, fried polenta and more. It truly such a versatile dish, and remember, the basic recipe is vegan and gluten free!
Can you Reheat Cooked Polenta?
Of course, you can reheat anything! However, the question should be “How can I reheat cooked polenta?” I can tell you that no Italian would ever add water or milk to polenta that’s set, and try to reheat it that way! That’s an abomination, and the site that suggests this simply attempts to rank for every recipe under the sun, even if they have no clue about it (same site that used ground beef in an apple “mince” meat pie!) So please don’t attempt to reheat polenta in a pot. Follow my directions below and you’ll be much happier with the results.
Tips for Making Grilled Polenta
~The main thing to remember is that you should plan ahead for making grilled polenta. Don’t ever leave polenta sitting in a pot. Immediately put the polenta that won’t be eaten right away in a pan or dish that is preferably square or rectangular.
This makes for easier cutting and grilling similar sized slices.
- When making the polenta, if you are going to make the entire amount grilled, use a little less water. It’s much easier to make grilled polenta with cheese that’s a bit more stiff, than runny.
Grilled Polenta with Cheese
(How to Make Grilled Polenta)
Ingredients
- leftover polenta, chilled (preferably in a square or rectangular pan)
- (optional: mozzarella, scamorza cheese, or any melty cheese of your choice, including vegan)
Turn out the polenta onto a cutting board.
Cut into slices, or pieces.
Place on an oiled grill (bbq) or oiled rack under the broiler on high.
Cook until starting to crisp and brown. Then turn over and cook the other side.
You can choose to eat the grilled polenta plain. I love them this way!
However, if you choose to gild the lily, no one will complain! Just top the grilled polenta with a piece of your favorite melty cheese and place back under the broiler/grill. I usually use mozzarella, but have you ever had raclette? That is a melty cheese worth getting to know!
The cheese won’t get a lovely brown color, or crisp, on a proper grill, so I recommend finishing off under a broiler, either way.
Enjoy your grilled polenta!
Printable recipes below.
Grilled Polenta with Cheese (How to Use Leftover Polenta)
Special Equipment
- 1 baking sheet
- 1 oiled baking rack
Ingredients
- 1 bowl cold polenta chilled in a square or rectangular dish (see recipe card below or NOTES)
- 6 pieces mozzarella cheese or melty cheese of your choice
Instructions
- Cut polenta into the slices when cold.
- Place onto an oiled grill or rack placed under the broiler.
- Cook until the polenta starts to brown and crisp, then turn over and cook the other side.
- Serve plain, if desired. However, if you like cheese, add a slice of mozzarella and put back under the broiler until nicely browned. If you cooked the polenta on a grill, you may want to finish it off with cheese under a broiler/grill.
- Serve hot. You can also serve with a little tomato sauce.
Notes
- See here for polenta recipe
- You will need a baking sheet and oiled baking rack so the polenta doesn't stick.
Nutrition
How to Make Polenta - an Easy Italian Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium onion diced
- 1 bunch rapini washed and chopped into small pieces
- 1 ½ cups polenta or good quality corn meal (you can put it in the blender to make it more fine or leave as is)
- ½ tsp Kosher salt
- caramelized onions optional, to serve
Instructions
- Fry the onion in the olive oil in a large, heavy pot over medium high heat until translucent and just starting to brown.
- Add 4 cups of water to the pot. Then add the chopped rapini.
- Next, add 2 cups of water to the cornmeal placed in a bowl, and stir to moisten. This technique of adding water to the dry ingredient will ensure that you will avoid lumps. However, do not add the water to the polenta until just before adding it to the pot. Add half a teaspoon of Kosher salt at this time, taste and add more as needed.
- Immediately add the wet polenta to the pot before the water comes to a boil. Continue stirring, and cook over medium heat (it should be bubbling) for about 25 minutes. Keep scraping the bottom to make sure the polenta doesn't stick. Be careful not to let it boil too fast or the polenta may bubble which is painful if it squirts onto your hand.
- If you are using a quick cooking package, it will be ready in just a few minutes, however the traditional type will need to cook for about 25 minutes, possibly longer. Taste again for salt and remove from heat when it is no longer hard and gritty.
- Pour into bowls immediately and serve as desired.
Notes
- Important Note: If there is any leftover in the pot, put it into a dish which you will want to keep in the refrigerator as it hardens as it cools.
Nutrition
Rustic Polenta Pizza with Herbs
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Awesome recipe! Leftovers often make an even better meal than the original, this would make a perfect snack.
Yes! Thank you, Janice!
We always ate ours off a board set in the middle of the table. Sauce spread all over. Italian sausage or rabbit in the middle. Everyone ate towards the meat! We could cheat and grab a piece if we were fast. Fun dinner memory.
You know how to tempt us, don’t you with that fabulous grilled cheese…. you’ve got me wanting polenta more than ever now, Christina!
I hope you have some in your pantry!
I haven’t met any form of polenta I don’t like! I really love your tip on not leaving it in the pot after serving – immediately spread it into a pan. As we work (not always so successfully) on portion control, this would be a good way to avoid going back for seconds AND it gives me a nice snack for a future day. (Working from home now, we find ourselves having elevenses every day. These polenta squares would be perfect for that!)
Polenta is one of my favorite dishes, tasty and very healthy, very simple, and is so versatile. Thank you Christina for sharing this great recipe.
Wonderful, thank you!
polenta chips with lots of parmesan are one of my fave things to nibble on. Yummo! this looks delicious with all that melted cheese. Hope you’re keeping well. cheers sherry
You just can’t go wrong with polenta! Doing fine and hope you are, too! Thank you, Sherry!
Sounds delicious! I’ve never had grilled polenta!
You really would love it, I’m sure of it!
Tastier Cheesy Polenta, learned from my Swiss mother: incorporate grated gruyère or parmesan into hot polenta, cool , spread inch-thick on oiled plate. The enriched squares fried in a (non-stick) pan are much tastier than the merely cheese-covered broiled. And they make for a neater-to- transport snack!
Sorry you don’t like my version. :(