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This Creamy Polenta Recipe is the perfect comfort food—smooth, rich, and made with just a few simple, wholesome ingredients. Whether you serve it as a side dish or a base for your favorite vegetables and proteins, this homemade polenta is an easy, healthy addition to any meal.
Polenta is a creamy, comforting side dish that pairs well with just about anything. I love serving it with crisp veggies like my Air Fryer Frozen Broccoli, Teriyaki Brussel Sprouts, and Air Fryer Eggplant. If these flavors sound good to you, you’ll love my Healthy Delicious Dinner Recipes eBook!
Why I Love This Creamy Polenta
I love this creamy polenta recipe because it’s one of those simple, cozy dishes that feels special every time I make it. It’s warm, comforting, and so versatile—you can enjoy it on its own, with roasted vegetables, or as a base for your favorite protein. Plus, it’s naturally gluten-free and made with real, minimally processed ingredients, which makes it a healthy comfort food I can feel good about serving my family.
Enjoy!
– Becca
Ingredients in Polenta
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
- Dry Polenta: As fancy as it sounds, polenta is really just cornmeal that’s been cooked until it’s soft and has a velvety texture. There are both instant and regular, you can use either with this recipe.
- Parmesan: Be sure to grab a good quality cheese and grate it yourself. Cheese that is already grated is coated to prevent clumping. This coating will keep your polenta from having a smooth texture. Dairy free? Use powdered nutritional yeast for the cheesy flavor!
How to Make Polenta
Step 1: Gather your ingredients, then add 3 cups of water to a large saucepan and bring to boil.
Step 2: Reduce the heat to medium-high heat and slowly add your dry cornmeal into the boiling water, whisking constantly until there are no lumps.
Reduce heat to medium, stirring often. Cook times will vary depending on the kind of polenta you use. Instant will cook in 3-5 minutes, more coarse cornmeal will take 25-30 minutes.
Step 3: Once your polenta is cooked, remove it from the heat and stir in the butter and parmesan cheese.
Step 4: Serve immediately. It is delicious on its own or as a side dish.
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Recipe Tips
- For extra flavor, replace the water with vegetable or chicken stock.
- For creamier polenta, replace the water with milk.
- Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for up to 2 days and reheated on the stove. If it’s too thick, stir in 1/4 cup of water.
- If you’re concerned about the polenta sticking to your pot, go ahead and add 1 or 2 teaspoons of olive oil to the boiling water.
Polenta FAQs
Yes, polenta can absolutely be part of a healthy diet! It’s made from ground cornmeal, which is a good source of complex carbohydrates, fiber, and essential minerals like iron and magnesium. When prepared with wholesome ingredients—like olive oil or a bit of butter and nutrient-rich toppings such as vegetables or lean protein—polenta becomes a balanced, nourishing meal that fits well into a clean eating or minimally processed lifestyle.
Polenta is naturally gluten free because it’s made from ground cornmeal, not wheat or other gluten-containing grains. That said, if you have celiac disease or a gluten sensitivity, it’s best to check the packaging to make sure it’s labeled certified gluten free, since cross-contamination can occur during processing.
There are a few ways to buy Polenta, and a few things to look for when buying. First thing to look for is the type:
Instant, Pre-cooked, or Quick Cook Polenta: This often looks like a roll of yellow cornmeal and is typically found in the produce department. There is also instant polenta that is dry, and is often just finely ground “regular” polenta. If you’re following the recipe below, you’ll want to use the dry polenta.
Cornmeal: Looks like a bag of yellow sugar or flour, and is usually located by the pasta, boxed rice, or in the ethnic foods section (depending on where you live).
The next thing to consider when buying polenta is the grind. Fine ground will cook fast, but doesn’t have as much flavor as coarser ground polenta. Also, the texture in fine ground polenta will be a bit sand-like. Looking for a coarse grind that looks like the size of quinoa or couscous will taste the best, in my opinion.
This healthy polenta recipe is delicious when paired with my Instant Pot Pork Tenderloin, Instant Pot Meatballs, or Spicy Teriyaki Salmon.
Healthy Eating Plans
Weight Watchers Points
Points were figured using the WW website. 7 2025 Plan Points with reduced fat parmesan and light butter.
21 Day Fix Containers
For the entire recipe: 4 Yellow Containers, 2 Blue Containers, 6 Teaspoons.
Per serving (recipe makes 4): 1 Yellow Container, 1/2 Blue Container, 1 1/2 Teaspoons.
If you tried this Creamy Polenta Recipe or any other recipe on my site please leave a rating and let me know how it went in the comments!
Creamy Polenta Recipe
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Equipment
- Le Creuset Cast Iron Pot
- Measuring Cups
Ingredients
- 3 cups water
- 1 cup polenta dry, regular or instant
- ½ cup parmesan cheese grated
- 2 tbsp butter
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Bring 3 cups of water to a boil. 3 cups water
- Reduce the heat the medium-high and whisk in polenta. 1 cup polenta
- Allow the polenta to simmer, stirring occasionally. Allow polenta to cook 3-5 minutes for instant and 25-30 minutes for cornmeal.
- Once the grains are tender and the liquid has been absorbed, remove your pan from heat and stir in Parmesan cheese and butter. 1/2 cup parmesan cheese 2 tbsp butter
- Serve immediately or store in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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