Quick and Easy Polenta Fries
Creating satisfying, healthy food for your family can be a daunting task, especially on a budget. But with a little planning ahead, this great breakfast can be ready in less than an hour with 5 minutes of hands-on time. That’s about the same time it takes to pour a bowl of cereal for your kids, and this meal will stick with them a lot longer than sugar filled puffs!
I discovered polenta while eating at a friend’s house and definitely wasn’t a fan of the mushy, warm, cornmeal texture, but loved that I felt full for the rest of the morning on just a small portion. I set out to find a way to prepare polenta that was both easy and quick to prepare, but also tasted wonderful. After several, less-than-desirable, attempts the idea of using polenta to make French toast sticks was born and became something we now make regularly for breakfast. The crispy outside and still creamy inside is a game-changer when it comes to taste, and changing up the add-ins is a great way to use this recipe as a side dish with dinner too!
Getting Started
Your first step is to bring two cups of water, ¼ teaspoon of salt, and one Tablespoon of butter to a boil in a saucepan. As it heats up, stir a few times to make sure the salt and butter is fully dissolved.
Once it is boiling, gradually whisk in 2/3 cup of polenta until fully incorporated. It’s really easy to boil this over and is awful to clean up, so watch carefully!
Once fully incorporated, cover and turn to low. Simmer for 5-7 minutes until mixture thickens. Stir occasionally so it doesn’t begin to stick. I love my stainless steel saucepan for this because it seems to stick much less than other pans.
Remove from heat and add brown sugar and cinnamon or any other add-ins you are wanting. Stir until fully incorporated. This is important, otherwise you’ll have chunks of cinnamon or brown sugar in your polenta fries when you’re finished!
Pour hot polenta into a greased 8×8 cake pan and allow to cool. After fully cooled, place in refrigerator for at least two hours or until following morning.
Next Morning 5 Minute Prep
When ready to bake, preheat oven to 425F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Cut the cooled polenta into ½” x 4” sticks and turn out onto the baking sheet. Gently separate sticks and brush a small amount of olive oil or melted butter on the sticks. Bake for 40min flipping the sticks at least once to make sure they brown on both sides.
My family likes eating them with a drizzle of maple syrup or melted butter.
You can easily change the flavor of the sticks by adding different ingredients in place of the brown sugar and cinnamon. Pairings such as dill and parmesan, goat cheese and basil, molasses and nutmeg all make great tasting additions to mealtime. Feel free to experiment to find what your family likes best!
Let me know your favorite add-ins in the comments!
Polenta Fries
Print RecipeIngredients
- 2 cups water
- 2/3 cup of polenta yellow corn grits
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 TBSP butter
- 2 TBSP brown sugar
- ½ tsp cinnamon
Instructions
- Heat water, salt, and butter in a saucepan until it reaches a boil. Add polenta while stirring until fully incorporated. Reduce heat to low and cover. Simmer for 5-7 minutes until polenta is an oatmeal-like consistency. Remove from heat and stir in brown sugar and cinnamon. Pour polenta into a greased 8×8 cake pan and allow to cool. After polenta has cooled, refrigerate at least 2 hrs (I usually do overnight).
- When ready to bake, preheat oven to 425F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Cut the chilled polenta into 1/2”x4” sticks and arrange on baking sheet. Gently pour or brush a small amount of olive oil on the sticks before baking. Bake for 40 minutes, flipping at least once. Eat plain or drizzled with maple syrup!
