Recipe: Creamy Baked Polenta

CREAMY BAKED POLENTA

"Cooking polenta on the stove requires a lot of hands-on time - and not a little care. It is hot and sticky and bubbles up and out in a Vesuvius-like way. Here, I cook polenta in the oven, which drastically decreases the hands-on time. This recipe can do double duty as a great weeknight side dish or a vegetarian main dish topped with porcini mushroom sauce or some chopped canned tomatoes saut?ed with onions and garlic, and a few bottled artichokes added at the end. A green salad would be a nice addition if you turn it into an entree."

1 cup yellow cornmeal or regular (not instant) polenta
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly milled black pepper
2 ounces provolone cheese, grated (about 1/2 cup)
2 ounces Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, finely grated (about 2/3 cup)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Combine 4 cups water, the cornmeal, butter, salt and pepper in a 1 1/2 -quart baking dish.

Bake, uncovered, on the top rack of the oven for 40 minutes.

Remove the polenta from the oven, give it a stir and bake for another 10 minutes.

Remove it from the oven; stir in the provolone, and salt and pepper to taste; let stand 5 minutes before serving. Serve topped with Parmigiano-Reggiano.

Source: Sara's Secrets for Weeknight Meals by Sara Moulton