Creamy Baked Polenta with Herbs and Green Onions (2024)

6 cups water

1 1/2 cups polenta (coarse cornmeal) or yellow cornmeal

2 teaspoons salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter

4 green onions, thinly sliced

3 tablespoons minced fresh Italian parsley

1 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme

1/4 cup whipping cream

3/4 cup grated dry Jack cheese or freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1 teaspoon grated lemon peel

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• If you're finding that the cooking time needs to be extended (as I did) try boiling the water before adding. It jump starts the cooking process and leads to perfection. (Also reduce the quantity a bit if you're planning on slicing) This recipe is so easy that in the Autumn, I find polenta wedges almost replacing bread in my house! If you like subbing some of the water for milk for richness, try instead the Trader Joe's European Style yogurt. Besides being wonderfully sharp flavored, it's also quite thin...almost like kefir so it works as a liquid substitute.

  • deouwe

  • Minneapolis

  • 9/19/2020

• I'll never make stovetop polenta again, when this technique is so easy and just as creamy. Great recipe! I served it with a chicken mushroom ragout.

  • kpalmer747

  • Sweden

  • 6/6/2020

• Probably the best polenta recipe I've ever made. Good texture and flavor, and so easy! Will made polenta with this recipe from now on...

  • Anonymous

  • Switzerland

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  • 1/31/2018

• I made the baked polenta & it came out great super easy & delicious!!!! I shall be making it this way from now on!!!!!!! I changed some if the ingredients (always do) but the basic polenta recipe is excellent.

  • piratequeen

  • Central Coast Ca

  • 10/4/2017

• Brilliant! Used chicken broth instead of water and halved the recipe, otherwise made per recipe. Easiest ever way to make polenta, and the consistency is relatively light and fluffy.

  • starchgirl

  • Cleveland!

  • 11/7/2016

• Delicious! I omitted the herbs (didn't have any on hand) and used caramelized leeks. It baked much longer than the recipe called for and I mixed it a few times with a spatula in the last 15-20 minutes but it was delightfully creamy and flavorful. Will definitely make again!

  • melissawhisks

  • Chicago, IL

  • 1/11/2016

• I substituted 2 cups of water with 2 cups of whole milk. Otherwise recipe was as written. Did not need extra time to get creamy. Reheated the next day in microwave for 10 minutes. Perfect and everyone loved it as a nice side with beef tenderloin.

  • rozpal

  • New York

  • 1/1/2013

• Delicious. I noticed a couple of reviewers commented on runniness, so I added a little corn flour. (I was a little short on cornmeal anyhow.) It was done perfectly at the end of the 40 minutes. The herbs and cheese are just perfect.

  • scrozier

  • Dallas, TX

  • 6/28/2010

• Delicious and not difficult. I often make polenta the traditional, stovetop way, but don't season it other than with cheese and oil or butter--it works well as a complement to dishes with sauce or vibrant seasoning of their own. This is the opposite--you can serve this with a roast or grilled entree and make the whole meal more interesting. I served this with a glazed ham over the holidays, and it was great. It did need to cook longer than indicated, although I also doubled the recipe for a larger crowd and can't say proportionately how much longer for this size.

  • ellensigerson

  • denver, co

  • 2/14/2010

• This was so easy. I used grated parmesan and goat cheese for flavoring. So much easier than stirring it in the pot. Be sure to whisk the polenta and water mix when when you first put it in the oven.

  • Anonymous

  • new haven ct

  • 2/10/2010

• Easy and tasty. I scaled down the recipe to serve 2 and it got a little more dried out than I would have liked, but still delicious!

  • carebearnj

  • New Brunswick, NJ

  • 10/28/2009

• Made this with leeks and parmesan cheese. Baked an extra 10 minutes, which gave it an OK consistency. It was certainly good, but I lost the flavors somewhere along the line. I went a little heavier on the parsley, cream, and cheese, and maybe that knocked out the thyme and lemon. I'm wondering if green onions were the right call like the recipe says, instead of leeks. Or maybe it is what it is. I'm looking forward to the leftovers, in any event.

  • rjlink

  • Wellington, New Zealand

  • 6/13/2009

• As a previous reviewer noted, thiscomes out too runny. I baked for anextra 15 minutes, and it was a littlebetter. Tasted great! The next day, theconsistency was perfect.

  • Anonymous

  • los angeles, ca

  • 4/25/2009

• Super delicious and very easy to make!

  • eprn17

  • Philadelphia, PA

  • 1/15/2009

• This is a tried and true keeper! I took the polenta out of the oven after the 40 minutes, stirred in the other ingredients (I used leeks, not green onions, I also used 1/3 cup of whipping cream rather then the 1/4) and then put it in the fridge. I took it out of the refridge right as the guests came and put it back in the oven for about 45 minutes (it was cold and needed to thicken up quite a bit). It was perfect. So easy!

  • Anonymous

  • Pasadena, CA

  • 1/10/2009

TagsPolentaScallionOnionRoot VegetableVegetableParmesanCheeseDairyMonterey JackSideDinnerNut FreeGluten FreeVegetarianWeeknight MealsOven BakeBon Appétit