Have Easy Oven Baked Creamy Polenta ready to enjoy in an hour and never stir hot boiling polenta on the stovetop again! Follow my easy instructions, tips as well as serving suggestions for the perfect no stir polenta recipe.
Did you know that you can oven bake polenta instead of boiling it? My mother spent at least half an hour stirring hot molten lava polenta for years. That is until an encounter with my dear friends's mother many years ago who shared this wonderful technique for making the easiest baked polenta ever!
I had actually not tried it myself until recently. It really works! Once you try it for yourself, you'll never go back to stirring hot bubbling polenta over a stove again.
There's really nothing to it. Just stir all the ingredients together, place in the oven and forget about it for an hour. Of course, baked polenta takes longer to cook than stove-top polenta. But think of all the other things you'll be able to get done while it's baking!
What is polenta?
Polenta is originally from northern Italy and is basically a cornmeal porridge made with ground corn cooked in water. Cornmeal is available both coarse or finely ground.
It has a mild corn flavor which makes it excellent for serving as a bed for saucy dishes such as osso buco; chicken cacciatore; or meatballs.
Cornmeal is also gluten-free and therefore polenta is a great option for those who need to follow a gluten free diet. Just be sure to carefully read the label as cross-contamination may occur if the manufacturer also processes wheat products.
Polenta in Sicily
So why is a girl of Sicilian origin posting about polenta, you may wonder? True, polenta is typically associated with Northern Italy. However, I've been enjoying polenta all my life.
I took the time to ask my mom if they ate polenta when she was growing up in Sicily. The answer is yes! Let me share what I learned.
Polenta was a common staple not only in Northern Italy but in Sicily as well. My grandparents actually grew corn on their land. Once harvested, the corn was dried and stone ground to make cornmeal. Some of that dried corn was also set aside for feeding their chickens.
Cornmeal was easily stored and kept for a long time since it was dry, therefore it was often enjoyed as polenta during the winter months. No fancy cheeses, butter or sauces were added to their polenta as we are now used to. It was served plain, simply topped with a drizzle of olive oil. At times my grandmother stirred in cooked greens from their garden, when available.
It was easy to make, plentiful and filling and therefore made for the perfect winter meal.
How to serve Creamy Oven Baked Polenta
- So once you've prepared a batch of this easy baked polenta, what to do with it? I enjoy my polenta as is, right out of the oven, there are definitely lots of ways to add flavor to your polenta as well as serve it. Here are a few suggestions:
- Omit the olive oil in the first step of the recipe and stir in a spoonful of butter as well as grated Parmigiano and/or Pecorino cheese (or cheese of your choice) at the end of cooking.
- Add freshly chopped herbs of your choice such as parsley, chives or thyme.
- Top with garlicky sautéed greens such as rapini.
- Serve with a meat sauce or tomato sauce with sausage added to it.
- In Northern Italy, I enjoyed polenta topped with shredded Fontina cheese and gratinéed. Incredibly decadent and delicious!
- Serve as a bed for veal osso buco, chicken cacciatore ; my mom's famous meatballs with tomato sauce.; or transform it into this decadent polenta lasagna!
Ingredient List for Polenta
- Cornmeal: I prefer coarse textured cornemal vs fine but either works well. Or you can use a combination of both.
The following are step by step instructions with images to guide you through this recipe. Please scroll to the end of this post for the detailed printable recipe card.
How to make Easy Oven Baked Creamy Polenta:
Step 1
Preheat oven to 400F. In a 2 quart casserole dish, combine cornmeal, water, salt and olive oil. Stir with a whisk. The corn flour will sink to the bottom of the dish, this is normal.
Step 2
Place in the oven for 1 hour and forget about it. Absolutely no stirring required!
Step 3
When you remove it from the oven, you'll notice that the olive oil pools on the surface of the polenta. Also, the polenta will be more firm around the edges and softer in the middle.
Step 4
Simply give it a stir with a wooden spoon and you're ready to enjoy your polenta. That's it!
Recipe FAQs
Polenta is traditionally made with water, however part of the water may be replaced by milk or chicken broth or a combination of both.
It is not necessary to stir the polenta while baking. When the polenta is ready, it will be more firm and dry around the edges and softer in the middle. Simply stir it when you take it out of the oven.
-This recipe will yield approximately 4 cups of polenta.
-You can easily double this recipe and bake it in a larger casserole dish.
Leftover polenta keeps well refrigerated for up to 5 days.
-For creamy polenta: Place the polenta in a pan on the stove top, stir in some water, milk or chicken broth, cover and cook until heated through.
-For firm polenta: You'll notice that your leftover polenta will become firm once refrigerated. It can be sliced and pan fried until crisp or grilled. Pat dry the polenta with a paper towel to absorb excess moisture to prevent it from splattering when frying.
If you tried this recipe or any other recipe on my blog please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how much you enjoyed it in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!
More Italian polenta recipes!
Easy Oven Baked Creamy Polenta
Ingredients
- 1 cup cornmeal medium grind
- 5 cups cold water
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400F. In a casserole dish, combine cornmeal, water, salt and olive oil. Stir with a whisk. The cornmeal will sink to the bottom of the dish, this is normal.
- Place in the oven, uncovered, for 1 hour. No stirring is required.
- Remove from the oven and give it a stir. Serve hot.
Notes
Tips and suggestions:
- Polenta is traditionally made with water, however part of the water may be replaced by milk or chicken broth or a combination of both.
- It is not necessary to stir the polenta while baking.
- When the polenta is ready, it will be more firm and dry around the edges and softer in the middle. Simply stir it when you take it out of the oven.
- This recipe will yield approximately 4 cups of polenta.
- You can easily double this recipe and bake it in a larger casserole dish.
How to Serve Easy Oven Baked Creamy Polenta
- Omit the olive oil in the first step of the recipe and stir in a spoonful of butter as well as grated Parmigiano and/or Pecorino cheese (or cheese of your choice) at the end of cooking.
- Add freshly chopped herbs such as parsley, chives or thyme.
- Top with garlicky sautéed greens such as rapini.
- Serve with a meat sauce or tomato sauce with sausage added to it.
- In Northern Italy, I enjoyed polenta topped with grated Fontina cheese and gratinéed. Incredibly decadent and delicious!
- Serve as a bed for veal osso buco, chicken cacciatore or my mom's famous meatballs with tomato sauce.
KrisK
Super easy! I did 2 cups Better than B chix + 3 cup water. Baked in Breville convection oven, 375*F for approx. 47 min. Could have pulled a min or 2 earlier, but still delicious. Added butter & parm at the end. Planning on pan fry to serve with meatballs.
Nadia
Hello Kris, so glad to hear you enjoyed this easy polenta recipe. And I'm sure it was tasty with your meatballs. Thank you for your comment!