Cheesy Polenta with Roasted Veggies
To get my kids to eat this dish, I tell them that it is “cheesy corn bread” and they are all over this stuff! What is polenta? It is also referred to as corn grits because it is a coarsely-ground cornmeal. I find mine in the whole foods section of the grocery store with all of the “Bob’s Red Mill” products. To make this a gluten-free meal, try Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free Corn Grits. (Aff. Link) There’s no difference in flavor or texture. Just no cross contamination with wheat. I made this recipe for the first time when I saw it on the Produce on Parade blog years ago. You can find the original recipe here. To make it more kid-friendly, I made some changes. Enjoy!
Cheesy Polenta and Roasted Vegetables
Simple, vegetarian, polenta topped with roasted vegetables.
Servings 12 servings
Calories 325kcal
Ingredients
Roasted Veggies
- 2 medium Sweet Potatoes (4 Cups chopped)
- 2 small Zucchini Squash (3 Cups chopped)
- 2 Cups Red Onion chopped
- 1 large Red Bell Peppers (2 Cups chopped)
- 2 Tablespoon Olive Oil
- Salt and Pepper to taste
Cheesy Polenta
- 6 cups Water
- 2 cups Stone Ground Polenta
- 2 cups Sharp Cheddar Cheese shredded
- 1/2 teaspoon Salt
- 1/4 teaspoon Pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Chop all vegetables into cubes using my not-so-secret chopping tip. Keep the sweet potatoes separate and zap them in a microwave safe bowl with a tablespoon of water for about 2 minutes.
- Toss all the vegetables in a large bowl with olive oil, salt and pepper. Pour them onto a large, tin foil-lined cookie sheet, and roast for about 15 minutes. Stir them once or twice to ensure even cooking. Once they are crisp-tender, remove and set aside. Decrease oven temperature to 350 degrees.
- Meanwhile, bring water to boil in a large pot. Slowly stir in the polenta with a long wooden spoon. Reduce heat to medium and keep stirring for about 10 minutes until it is the consistency of very thick cream of wheat.
- Remove from heat and add the cheese, salt, and pepper. Pour into a greased 9 x 13 inch pan and level it evenly inside the pan with the back of your spoon.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Remove from oven, top evenly with roasted vegetables, and bake for another 5 minutes.
- Remove from oven and let sit for about 5 to 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper as needed and serve immediately.
Notes
To make this a gluten-free meal, try Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Corn Grits. (Aff. link) There's no difference in flavor or texture. Just no cross contamination with wheat.
