Cheesy Polenta with Roasted Tomatoes is rich and creamy with tangy bursts of sweet tomatoes. This is a perfect side dish recipe for a dinner party, the holidays or whenever you want a special meal, yet it's simple enough to make any day of the week.
Creamy polenta is one of my favorite savory indulgences. I tend to make it when I have a good amount of time to make dinner because to properly prepare the side dish, it takes about 30 minutes. Most of that time is hands-off, allowing me to work on other parts of dinner, but polenta is certainly not a side dish you should rush.
This recipe pairs creamy and cheesy polenta with jammy oven-roasted tomatoes, seasoned simply with smashed garlic, fresh oregano, salt and pepper. The end result is a rustic and comforting dish, yet one that is sophisticated enough to serve at an elegant gathering with friends and family. This cheesy polenta is the ideal base for a roast or braise, like my Tender Braised Beef Shanks recipe or my Cast Iron BBQ Chicken Breast.
If you've never made polenta before, follow through these detailed instructions and you'll feel confident you too can turn a few basic ingredients into a lusciously creamy cornmeal mash.
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Ingredients that Matter
Making homemade polenta requires just two ingredients, water and cornmeal. But to really elevate the flavors and texture, I add a handful of pantry and fresh staples along with some simple oven-roasted tomatoes. Here are the ingredients you'll need for this recipe:
- Cornmeal. Polenta starts with cornmeal, typically a coarse yellow cornmeal. Sometimes it's labelled as polenta, corn grits of just coarse cornmeal. It is not, however, the precooked tubes of polenta. We want to start with dried cornmeal for this recipe.
- Water. You can cook cornmeal in all sorts of different liquids, but for the simplicity of this recipe we're using regular tap water.
- Butter. A bit of unsalted butter stirred into the cooked polenta makes for a creamy final product.
- Cream or Milk. Like the butter, a bit of dairy adds flavor and a creamy texture to the polenta. Use heavy cream or whole milk.
- Cheese. I recommend using a cheese that melts easily. For this recipe I used a cheddar cheese, but use any mild to moderate flavored melting cheese.
- Tomatoes. For the roasted tomatoes component, I recommend using a roma tomato for it's high flesh to seed ratio. More flesh means more roasted jam-like tomato to stir into the polenta.
- Seasoning. The seasoning for this recipe includes some fresh oregano, smashed garlic cloves, salt and pepper. All of these ingredients are added to the tomatoes before roasting.
- Olive Oil. Adding some olive oil to the tomatoes and seasoning before roasting helps the tomatoes brown and adds a lovely richness to the final dish.
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Making homemade creamy polenta is quite simple, as is roasted tomatoes. Here is how this recipe comes together:
Cut 1 pound of Roma tomatoes in half lengthwise and add to a roasting pan, baking sheet or baking dish cut-side up. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add the smashed garlic cloves and oregano then roast in a 400F oven until very tender, about 30 minutes.
Remove the tomatoes from the oven and cool on the counter for about 5 minutes. Peel and discard the skins.
Use a fork or potato masher to smash the tomatoes and garlic into a rustic sauce. This can be as chunky as you'd like. If desired you can blend this mixture in a blender for a very smooth consistency.
While the tomatoes roast in the oven, bring a medium saucepan to a boil over medium-high heat. Slowly whisk in the cornmeal and reduce the temperature to maintain a low simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the polenta is very tender, this will take about 30 minutes. Be sure the mixture is just barely simmering and stir occasionally to avoid scorching.
Once tender, remove the polenta from the heat and add the butter, cream and cheese and whisk to combine.
Spoon half of the mashed roasted tomatoes into the polenta and stir to combine. Adjust the seasoning with more salt and pepper, as desired.
To serve, divide the mixture among serving bowls and top with some of the reserved roasted tomato sauce. Garnish with more cheese and oregano, if desired.
Substitutions
There are plenty of ways to adjust this recipe based on your dietary needs and flavor preferences. Consider the following:
- Dairy-Free or Vegan - This recipe can be made dairy-free and vegan by omitting the cheese, cream and butter. Instead, I recommend cooking the cornmeal in 4 cups of vegetable broth to enhance the flavor. You can, if desired, stir in a couple tablespoons of plant-based butter at the end.
- A Bit of Spice- If you want to add a kick of heat, try adding a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes to the tomatoes before they roast. Or, add come chopped fresh hot peppers to the tomatoes before roasting.
- Herbs - You don't have to use fresh oregano (not everyone loves fresh oregano). Instead you can use other woody herbs like sage, rosemary and thyme. You can even use a dried Italian seasoning blend. If using dried herbs, only add 1 teaspoon as to not overpower the dish.
Equipment
This recipe requires a medium saucepan like this Made In Cookware Stainless Steel 4 Quart Saucepan with Lid. For the tomatoes, I recommend an 8-inch square baking dish like this LOVECASA 8-Inch Baking Pan.
You could also roast the tomatoes on a baking sheet like this Nordic Ware Commercial Baker's Half Sheet.
Storage & Serving
This creamy cheesy polenta with roasted tomatoes can be made ahead and stored in an airtight container. If you don't care to use some of the roasted tomatoes as a garnish, simply stir them all into the cooked polenta, cool to room temperature then transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days.
You can make the roasted tomatoes up to 4 days ahead of time too and store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Cooked polenta hardens as it cools. When reheating, I recommend adding a bit of water or milk and bringing to a simmer over medium heat, being sure to stir occasionally to prevent scorching. You can also pour the cooked polenta into a baking dish and after it cools cut out blocks of firm polenta. From there you can pan-fry or even roast until slightly crispy.
Top tip
Polenta should not be rushed! The goal is a creamy, smooth cornmeal mash. You can only achieve this by slowly cooking the cornmeal in lots of water until it's smooth and very tender. Give yourself at least 30 minutes to cook the polenta.
FAQ
Use any cheese that melts easily, like cheddar, monetary jack, colby, goat or parmesan.
For every 1 cup of cornmeal (polenta) use 4 cups of water or broth.
Creamy and tender homemade polenta takes about 30 minutes.
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Recipe
Cheesy Polenta with Roasted Tomatoes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 5 cups 1x
Description
Cheesy Polenta with Roasted Tomatoes is rich and creamy with tangy bursts of sweet tomatoes. This is a perfect side dish recipe for a dinner party, the holidays or whenever you want a special meal, yet it's simple enough to make any day of the week.Â
Ingredients
- 1 lb. Roma tomatoes, halved lengthwise
- 4 Tbsp. olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
- 1 tsp. table salt, plus more to taste
- ½ tsp. black pepper, plus more to taste
- 2 sprigs fresh oregano, leaves removed, more for garnish
- 4 cups water
- 1 cup coarse cornmeal (polenta)
- ½ cup heavy cream or whole milk
- 4 Tbsp. unsalted butter
- 4 oz. freshly grated cheddar cheese, plus more for serving
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400F. Place tomatoes in a roasting pan, baking dish or baking sheet cut-side up. Drizzle with oil then add garlic. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and top with fresh oregano leaves. Roast in the oven until the tomatoes are very tender, about 30 minutes. When tomatoes are very tender, remove from oven and cool at room temperature for 5 minutes. Peel off and discard the stems then mash the tomatoes and garlic to desired consistency.
- Meanwhile, bring water to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Slowly whisk in cornmeal then reduce heat to maintain a low simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the polenta is very tender, about 30 minutes. Be sure the mixture is barely simmering and you stir occasionally to prevent scorching.
- Stir in the cream or milk, butter and cheese along with half of the roasted smashed tomatoes. Adjust seasoning with more salt and pepper, if desired. Serve the cheesy polenta topped with more of the tomato sauce, more cheese and oregano, if desired.
Notes
- Leftover cheesy polenta may be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.Â
- Polenta will thicken and solidify as it cools. You can take advantage of this by pouring the mixture into a baking dish, covering with plastic wrap and refrigerating until set. Cut out bricks of cheesy polenta and pan-fry or roast until crispy.
- Use any melting cheese you prefer, including goat cheese, parmesan, Colby or jack.
- To make this recipe vegan or dairy-free, leave out the butter, cheese and cream and instead cook the polenta in 4 cups of vegetable broth. Finish with plant-based butter, if desired.
- It's important to cook the polenta low and slow for optimal tenderness. Be sure to stir occasionally to prevent scorching.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Sides
- Method: simmering/roasting
- Cuisine: Italian/American
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