How to Make Tube Polenta Creamy? Some Easy Hacks!!!
Do you want to add something healthy, gluten-free, but delicious side dish to your diet plan? Then, you may have looked for a creamy polenta recipe. Yes, today you can find out how to make tube polenta creamy correctly from this article. You may not like this flavorful and versatile dish so far since you do not know how to make it deliciously. But do not worry; there are some easy steps to make a mouthwatering creamy polenta.
On the other hand, you may have noticed that dried cornmeal is not always available at the store to make polenta. But luckily, creamy polenta can be made with a tubed polenta. And today, we are going to explain that procedure thoroughly without keeping any doubt in your mind. So, stick with the article!
What is Tubed Polenta?
Polenta is a dish that originated in Italy, and it is made of cornmeal porridge. So, its taste resembles corn. We need fine-ground yellow or white corn to make this dish. However, nowadays, pre-cooked polenta is available at grocery stores. And that is called tubed polenta. You can easily buy them even in one-kilo logs at present. What’s more, you can store unopened tubed polenta for several months.
As the name suggests, it comes as a tube and has a firm texture, unlike usual porridge. Therefore, you can easily slice it into rounds or strips and try fried recipes like pan-fried polenta. Further, you can turn it into creamy polenta by adding some liquid, and we will discuss it later in this article. It will be a perfect side dish for various main courses such as meats and stews. Apart from all these qualities, the best advantage of buying tubed polenta is it takes less time to prepare because it has already been cooked. You can prepare a dish within 5 to 10 minutes with a tubed polenta.
How to Make Tube Polenta Creamy?
Now let’s see how to make this yummy and creamy side dish. And we are sure you are going to love it. Because you can make this dish perfectly because of the ingredients we recommend and the method we explain. And this side dish can be served as an easy base for any meat, seafood, fried eggs, roasted vegetables, etc. Moreover, this recipe significantly reduced cooking time compared to making polenta from scratch.
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What Do You Need to Make Creamy Polenta?
First, make sure to gather all these ingredients onto your kitchen table. Obviously, you need a tubed polenta. And prepare some chicken broth or vegetable broth as the liquid. Using water as a substitute is okay, but the best flavor will not come with the water. Further, you will need milk to add the creaminess, freshly-shredded parmesan cheese, and some butter. You can add some salt and ground black pepper according to your taste.
When it comes to the equipment, you will need a blender, metal whisk, potato masher or wooden mixing spoon to break up the polenta. And since we use a liquid for this recipe, we should consider our saucepan’s size. To be honest, it is better to go for a smaller one since the larger ones take more time to simmer. And using a smaller one can be decreased the cooking time.
Now, we are going to tell you the exact method of making creamy polenta from a tube. So, you do not have to follow the tubed polenta’s packaging instructions hereafter!
- First, open a roll of polenta, remove the wrappings, and cut it into small cubes using a knife. You do not need to mince or dice. Just cut bite-sized chunks.
- Secondly, you can put all the cubes into the saucepan. Next, take your chicken or vegetable broth and pour it onto the polenta cubes. It is not vital to soak all the cubes with broth. You only need some quantity to soften and cook the polenta. Here, you can use powdered broth as well. But remember to mix the powder with some boiling water before pouring it. And if you use plain water instead of broth, you will have to balance the salt level by adding some extra salt.
- After you pour the broth, it is time to stir it gently for 10 to 15 minutes to soften the cubes. But the time will depend on the power of your cooking elements. Always use medium heat for cooking the dish until the cubes get softened. When the broth starts to bubble, you can mash the cubes by using your potato masher.
- Next, add your milk and butter to enhance the flavor of this creamy dish. After adding them, you have to stir well until they are combined.
- You can stir this porridge in the pot until it becomes thick and creamy. If not, you can use a blender at this step to turn the mixture into a thick porridge. Remember to continue blending until the lumps vanish. If you have already used the potato masher, you will not need a blender to mix. You can do the rest by hand itself.
- The next step is adding your parmesan cheese to the mixture. Then, you have to stir and simmer it for a while, letting the cheese melt and combine. If the porridge is too thick after adding cheese, you can add some milk to soften it again.
- Finally, you will season your creamy polenta dish as you wish with salt and black pepper. Always remember the salt level of your broth and parmesan before adding extra salt. Now your creamy polenta is ready to go to the table. But do not forget to sprinkle some parmesan!
How to Reheat Creamy Polenta?
If you have some leftovers, you can eat them again after reheating. You should add the creamy polenta to a saucepan with some milk on low heat. And stir gently for a few minutes to soften the porridge again.
In conclusion, making creamy plus yummy polenta is easy if you follow the procedure mentioned above. So, next time you are at the grocery store, do not ignore tubed polenta. Try this delicious recipe and enjoy!
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