Our fav way to cook polenta is with a pressure cooker, but here we show a microwave polenta recipe and a stove top polenta recipe. I call these kitchen hacks, since we are showing you how to get a step ahead in the kitchen and cook polenta faster than you can using traditional methods.
Microwave ovens are not all the same, so pay attention the first time you do this. I overflowed the dish in our first test, not a lot of fun to clean this one up!
Polenta becomes transcendent when you add in some butter and Parmesan or Pecorino cheese.
Our first attempt at a Microwave Polenta Recipe
Microwave Polenta Recipe
3 ½ cups of water
⅛ teaspoon baking soda
1 cup of polenta or corn grits
Mix the polenta and baking soda into the water in a large microwave proof bowl.
Cover with plastic wrap and put in the microwave on high for 5 minutes.
Remove the plastic and stir the polenta, be careful, the polenta will be real hot.
Cook for another 5-6 minutes at 75% power, keep an eye on it to make sure it doesn't boil over.
Remove from the microwave and stir, let sit for 5 minutes.
Add salt and real good cheese and eat.
Watch our grilled polenta recipe and pressure cooker polenta recipe video here:
Myra S.
Hi Eric!
Loved the polenta videos! I grew up eating "mush" made from plain old regular cornmeal and water made on the stove top. I put the cornmeal in some cold water first to soak while the water in the pot comes to a boil. Then I whisk in the soaked cornmeal and stir for a bit. It pops like lava (quite entertaining but watch out!). When it's the consistency I want, I put some in a bowl with butter, sugar and a little milk and eat it that way as the cook's treat. The rest goes into a loaf pan straightaway and I fry it the next day like you did, and we eat it with butter and syrup. I don't think it takes forever to make whatever the method, and maybe using regular cornmeal would be the difference given it's ground finer and gives a less toothy consistency than using grits would, but then it wouldn't be the mush of my childhood. At least not in my house. 🙂
I wonder if soaking the cornmeal achieves the same result as the baking soda? When soaked in the water the cornmeal doesn't clump up when dumped into the boiling water like pouring it dry does, and I assume the meal has softened so that shortens cooking time. Whatever the science behind it, it's good stuff.
Eric Gunnar Rochow
Hi Myra, I think the baking soda softens the corn similar to long soak times does. it helps the corn break down and thicken. I love to put it in loaf pans too. thx! eric.
Sarah
I'm a cheese addict and polenta is definitely worth trying especially now that I know how to make it in a microwave. LOL Thanks for this 🙂