Easy Garlicky Grilled Polenta | The Best Polenta Cakes!

This recipe for Easy Garlicky Grilled Polenta is a gluten free side dish for your BBQ get-together -eaten as is or topped with some wonderful vegetables. These grilled polenta cakes will quickly become one of your favorite BBQ sides for the summer. Who thought grilling polenta could be so easy?

Grilled Polenta

Fire up the grill because today we are talking barbecue!

I can’t wait to share this recipe for Easy Garlicky Grilled Polenta with all of you.

These grilled polenta cakes not only taste great, but they are so easy to make, especially on the BBQ (if you don’t have a BBQ, you can use an indoor grill pan).

They make a great side for ribs, especially this copycat recipe for Sweet Bar B Barn Ribs (if you are from Montreal, I am sure you know about this landmark restaurant) or perhaps one of Ricardo’s grilled chicken recipe like this Grilled Chicken with Fennel.

They are so convenient that they can also be prepped up to one day ahead.

So forget about those store-bought tubes of polenta… let’s grill some homemade polenta!

HOW TO MAKE GRILLED POLENTA:

This recipe for Grilled Polenta has its humble beginnings in a heavy-bottomed pot. It’s important to have all your ingredients measured and kitchen equipment (i.e. whisk and spatula) ready as this recipe comes together very quickly. You really don’t have time to start measuring your ingredients once you get the recipe underway. Believe me when I tell you when garlic gets burnt it has a bitter taste, which very few people will appreciate.

So we start by drizzling some olive oil (and a little butter) in the pot; heat and sauté the minced garlic and herbs for about one minute. Then, it’s just a matter of adding the liquids and bringing the whole mixture to a boil.

At this point, remove the mixture from the heat and slowly whisk in the cornmeal. (I usually use a combination of coarse and fine cornmeal). Return the pot to the heat and continue to whisk until the mixture begins to thicken and starts to boil. Be careful not to burn yourself as the mixture will create air bubbles that pop.

Once the mixture has slightly thickened, remove from heat, incorporate the cheese and pour in a pan. (I will often use a glass Pyrex pan measuring 9 x 13). It then needs to spend a couple of hours in the refrigerator to firm up. I usually remove the polenta from the fridge one hour before I plan on grilling it. I then cut the polenta in triangle shapes. Once your grill is ready, brush both sides with some olive oil. Grill the polenta and enjoy!

Recipe origins

I have such a soft spot for polenta. I think I could eat it for breakfast, lunch and supper.

Polenta was a staple growing up in my house. It would usually make an appearance for Saturday supper, served with a Simple Marinara Sauce and sprinkled with lots of Parmesan cheese. My mom would also make it and then bake it like a pizza. If interested in her signature recipe for Rustic Polenta Pizza with Herbs, just click on the highlighted recipe link.

I have a few “food” obsessions and polenta is definitely one of them. I remember the first time I saw this recipe for Easy Garlicky Grilled Polenta. It was in the food section of my local paper almost 15 years ago. The recipe was adapted from the one and only Barefoot Contessa. I knew it would be tasty, but I wanted to make a lighter version. So I kept just a quarter of the butter, and I replaced the cream with vegetable stock. I’ve been making this recipe for years and it is always well appreciated.

I love the convenience of this recipe… it can be made up to 24 hours before you need to grill it. Once it’s made, just refrigerate it and then it’s just a matter of brushing both sides with some olive oil and barbecuing it. (As a side note, the polenta can also be pan-seared). It is great on its own or it can be topped with some Marinated Roasted Bell Peppers or grilled cherry tomatoes. If you like eggplant, this recipe for  Lina’s Baked Eggplant Caponata is just fantastic with the polenta.

And there you have it, a super simple recipe for Easy Garlicky Grilled Polenta for your barbecue get-togethers. A great side dish that can be eaten as is or topped with some wonderful vegetables.

Have fun grilling!

Thanks for dropping by.

Ciao for now,

Maria 

Easy Garlicky Grilled Polenta

This recipe for Easy Garlicky Grilled Polenta is a gluten free side dish for your BBQ get-together -eaten as is or topped with some wonderful vegetables. These grilled polenta cakes will quickly become one of your favorite BBQ sides for the summer. Who thought grilling polenta could be so easy?

5 from 3 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Keyword: grilled polenta, polenta cakes

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 10 minutes

Servings: 16 servings

Calories: 149kcal

Author: Maria Vannelli RD

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 tablespoon garlic about 3-4, minced
• 1 tablespoon rosemary fresh, minced
• pinch crushed red pepper flakes
• ½ teaspoon salt see note
• pinch pepper
• 5 cups vegetable broth
• 2 cups milk 1%
• 1 cup fine cornmeal
• 1 cup coarse cornmeal
• ½ cup Parmesan cheese freshly grated
• olive oil for brushing

Instructions

• Spray 9 x 13 inch pan with non-stick spray. Set aside.
• In a large, heavy pot, heat the olive oil and butter.
• Add the garlic, rosemary, crushed red pepper flakes, salt and pepper.
• Sauté the herbs for about one minute.
• Add the vegetable broth and the milk and bring to a boil.
• Remove the saucepan from the heat and slowly whisk in the cornmeal.
• Return the saucepan to the heat and stir with a wooden spoon until mixture begins to thicken and starts to boil. Be careful not to burn yourself (this takes just a few minutes).
• Remove from heat.
• Add the cheese and stir to combine.
• Spread polenta in a 9 x 13 inch pan (I will use a glass Pyrex dish).
• Refrigerate until firm.
• Remove the polenta from the fridge one hour before grilling it.
• Cut the polenta in triangle shapes (or whatever shape you prefer).
• Brush both sides with some olive oil.
• Grill the polenta a few minutes on each side until heated through.
• Enjoy!

Scroll UP for the STEP by STEP PhotosDon't miss the process shots and videos included in most posts. Simply scroll up the post to find them. Those were created especially for you so that you can make the recipe perfectly every single time you try it.

Notes

This recipe can easily be divided in half.
Please include a couple of hours for the polenta to firm up in the fridge.
The amount of salt added depends on personal taste. Feel free to adjust.

If you want polenta rounds, you can place the polenta in a small well-oiled cans or other cylindrical containers. Then it is just a matter of slicing the rounds and grilling. This way there is no waste.

Please keep in mind that the nutritional information provided below is just a rough estimate and variations can occur depending on the specific ingredients used. 

*adapted from Barefoot Contessa

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 149kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 7mg | Sodium: 436mg | Potassium: 107mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 255IU | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 74mg | Iron: 0.7mg

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