No more stirring polenta on the stove! This baked polenta recipe cooks all by itself in the oven. Baked polenta is creamy & comforting and everyone in the family can add their favorite toppings.
Looking for a faster way to cook polenta? The recipe card at the bottom of this post also includes instructions for Instant Pot polenta.
This baked polenta recipe takes all the work out of making polenta. Simply combine polenta, water and salt and let it bake in the oven for about 45 minutes. Then, stir in olive oil or butter, and if you really want it to taste amazing, add your favorite cheese.
This polenta is creamy and rich with a buttery, mildly sweet corn flavor that pairs really well with toppings like roasted tomatoes, zucchini, roasted oyster mushrooms with garlic or sauteed delicata squash. You can also add pan-seared kielbasa sausage, pork and ricotta meatballs and/or Instant Pot bolognese sauce. The options are endless!
You can use this polenta recipe to make creamy baked polenta served in a bowl. You can also use it to make baked polenta slices - simply pour the warm polenta in a dish and let it cool and set in the refrigerator. The cooled and firm polenta can then be sliced and served warm or cold.
Looking for a sliced polenta recipe? Try sliced polenta and sausage.
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What is Baked Polenta?
Baked polenta can be one of two things. It can be polenta that cooks entirely in the oven and comes out like creamy and thick porridge (like this recipe). Or, it can be warm, cooked polenta that is poured into a baking dish and then chilled until firm and sliceable.
Ingredients
You only need three main ingredients to make creamy baked polenta: polenta, water and salt.
The word "polenta" actually refers to the name of the dish, not the type of ground corn used an ingredient. However, to make sure you're buying the correct type of cornmeal look for packages labeled as "polenta" not "cornmeal." When ground cornmeal is labeled as polenta, it should mean that the cornmeal is ground to a coarse or medium texture.
Optional ingredients that improve the flavor of polenta include butter or olive oil and cheese. These ingredients are added after the polenta is baked.
Step-by-Step Baked Polenta Instructions
For detailed instructions and ingredient amounts, see the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Step 1: Combine polenta, water and salt in a baking dish with a lid, like a Dutch oven. Let the polenta soak for 1 hour on the counter. (This step is optional, but helps the polenta cook faster & have a creamier texture).
Step 2: Bake the polenta at 400F with a lid. There's no need to stir it. After 30 minutes, the polenta should be thickening and absorbing the water.
Step 3: After 40 minutes, taste the polenta to make sure it's done. Add butter or olive oil and grated cheese (optional). Let the polenta bake for a few more minutes without a lid.
Step 4: Serve with toppings like roasted vegetables, fresh herbs and sour cream. You can also add proteins like shrimp, beef, pork or sausage.
Tips for Perfect Baked Polenta
- Soak the dried polenta: Soaking dried polenta in water for an hour before cooking helps the polenta cook faster and have a creamier texture.
- Cook it long enough: If the polenta tastes bitter, it means it hasn't been cooked long enough.
- Adjust the creaminess: If the polenta is too thick, simply whisk in boiling water or warm milk until it has the consistency you want.
Polenta Toppings and Serving Suggestions
Polenta is truly delicious with just butter and sour cream, but you can add a wide variety of toppings to add more flavor.
- Fried egg or soft-boiled egg
- Cheese, such as grated Cheddar, Parmesan or Fontina, crumbled feta or blue cheese
- Creamy mascarpone cheese
- Crumbled bacon
- Sliced sausage
- Sautéed kale or spinach
- Pan-seared shrimp
- Roasted vegetables, like zucchini, mushrooms or squash
You can serve polenta as a side dish alongside main courses such as Instant Pot beef stew, Instant Pot vegetarian chili, pork and ricotta meatballs, Instant Pot black lentils, or pan-seared kielbasa sausage.
Recipe FAQ
Polenta is a dish you make, not a type of ground corn. To make polenta, the main ingredient is cornmeal. Cornmeal is made by grinding dried corn kernels and is sold in three textures: fine, medium, and coarse. Traditionally, polenta is made from coarse ground cornmeal, and this is what a bag labeled as "polenta" should be. However, sometimes bags of cornmeal that are labeled as "polenta" are really medium-ground cornmeal. That's okay, too.
No. Don't use finely ground cornmeal to make polenta; it won't turn out. Also, don't use Masa Harina. Masa Harina is cornmeal made from corn kernels that have been soaked in lime water. It is used for tortillas and tamales, not polenta.
You can buy pre-cooked sliced polenta that's sold in tubes at the grocery store. If you're looking for a recipe that uses sliced polenta, then try my Turkey Meatballs Baked with Polenta and Mozzarella.
You can also make your own sliced polenta by pouring baked polenta (or Instant Pot polenta) into a greased 8x8 pan and chilling it in the refrigerator until it's solid and sliceable.
Main Course Recipes to Serve with Polenta
If you try this recipe for Baked Polenta please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how the recipe turned out in the 📝 comments section below. I love hearing from readers!
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Baked Polenta Recipe
No more stirring polenta on the stove! Oven-baked polenta cooks all by itself in the oven. It's creamy and comforting and everyone in the family can add their favorite toppings.
I often roast a sheet-pan of vegetables tossed in olive oil while the polenta bakes so I can serve roasted vegetables on the side.
The 1 hour of prep time is for soaking the polenta for 1 hour in water before it bakes. This is optional, but helps it cook faster and have a creamier texture.
- Prep Time: 1 hour
- Cook Time: 40
- Total Time: 1 hour 40 minutes
- Yield: 4 to 6 servings 1x
- Category: One Pot Meals
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: Italian
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
- 1 cup polenta
- 4 ¼ cups water
- ½ teaspoon salt
- Optional: 2 tablespoons olive oil or butter (I prefer butter)
- Optional: 1 to 2 cups grated Cheddar, Fontina or Parmesan or crumbled feta or blue cheese
- Optional: Sour cream or mascarpone cheese
Instructions
- Soaking the polenta is optional, but helps it cook faster with a creamier consistency. To soak, combine the polenta with the water and salt in a baking dish with a lid (like a Dutch oven). Let the polenta soak at room temperature for 1 hour.
- Heat the oven to 400F.
- Bake the polenta for 40 minutes with a lid. Don't stir.
- Taste the polenta to see if it's done. It should be creamy and the water should be absorbed. The flavor shouldn't be bitter. If it's bitter, it's not ready yet.
- If it's done, stir in butter or olive olive and cheese. Let it bake a few more minutes without a lid.
- If the consistency is too thick for you, whisk in a small amount of boiling water or warmed milk.
- When the polenta is done, add salt as needed and top the polenta with your favorite toppings.
Notes
Oven-baked polenta needs to be made with medium or coarse ground cornmeal, which should be labeled as "polenta" on the package. This recipe was tested with Bob's Red Mill polenta.
To make sliced polenta, pour the warm cooked polenta into an 8x8 or 9x9 square pan. Let it chill in the fridge until firm.
Instant Pot Polenta Recipe
Combine 3 ¾ cups water and ½ teaspoon salt in the Instant Pot. Add 2 tablespoons of either butter or olive oil. Press the "saute" button and bring the water to a boil. When the water is boiling, whisk in 1 cup of polenta. Seal the lid and cook for 9 minute at high pressure. Let the pressure release naturally (for about 20 minutes). Use a spatula to mix the polenta well, loosening it from the bottom of the pot. Stir in cheese if you like!
Carole
Where has this recipe been all my life?!?! No more stirring until my arm is dying?! The results on this polenta are perfectly creamy! Love, love, love! Thank you so much!
Jenny Meier
Thanks for letting me know, I'm so glad you liked it!
Susan Renee Hennings
I made polenta a couple of days ago and wanted some toppings for the remainder. Thanks for the ideas.
Jenny Meier
You're welcome, hope you enjoyed your meal!
Paget
Very easy and good and you don't have to stand at the stove stirring. I added shredded cheddar at the end and served it with shrimp étouffée.
S.
Love polenta! Thanks for the topping ideas.