Turkey Meatballs Baked with Polenta and Mozzarella

Turkey meatballs baked with creamy rounds of polenta are smothered with mozzarella, tomato sauce and basil in this easy but impressive sheet-pan dinner.

this recipe

Turkey meatballs baked with polenta & mozzarella will make you feel like you've put together an amazing dinner for your family.

But just between you and me, this recipe is incredibly easy.

You can make this meal in 4 east steps:

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When the mozzarella is warm and cheesy, garnish liberally with fresh basil.

What to serve with this meal? I put the sheet-pan right on the table with a big basket of garlic bread to sop it all up. I suggest you do the same!

Let's Talk Meatballs

I make this recipe with Turkey and Zucchini meatballs. It can also be made with turkey and ricotta meatballs or pork and ricotta meatballs.

Frozen Meatballs: This recipe can also be made using pre-cooked frozen meatballs, either your favorite store-bought meatballs or a homemade batch stashed in the freezer. Baking instructions for frozen meatballs are slightly different, so make sure to read the recipe card below for details.

What is Polenta?

Polenta is the name of a dish you make, not an ingredient. To make polenta, the main ingredient is cornmeal.

Cornmeal is made by grinding dried corn kernels. It is sold in three textures: fine, medium, and coarse.

So, are polenta and cornmeal the same thing?

Yes. Traditionally, polenta is made from coarse ground cornmeal. However, sometimes packages of cornmeal that are labeled as “polenta” are really medium-ground cornmeal.

To make polenta, you can buy inexpensive cornmeal (like Albers, which is medium/fine ground), or you can buy a brand like Bob's Red Mill Cornmeal which is course ground (Bob's also sell's fine and medium ground cornmeal). Course ground cornmeal gives polenta a richer corn flavor and texture.

What are grits made out of?

Grits are also made from course ground cornmeal, either yellow or white.

Traditionally, the cornmeal used to make polenta and grits comes from two different varieties of corn. These two varieties are milled in different ways. This is what gives traditional Italian polenta and traditional Southern grits their distinct flavor and texture.

Sometimes you'll see course ground cornmeal labeled as both polenta and grits, like Bob's Red Mill Grits Polenta.

Firm or Creamy Polenta?

Polenta can be served either firm and sliceable or soft and creamy.

This recipe uses firm polenta, the type that is pre-cooked and sold in a tube. Tubes of polenta are really convenient. Slices can be fried in a pan, grilled, or warmed in the oven. This type of polenta can be a little bland, so make sure to serve it with flavorful toppings or side dishes.

You can make firm polenta at home by following almost any polenta recipe, then spreading the warm polenta in an oiled pan and chilling it until firm. A recipe with 3 or 4 cups water to 1 cup cornmeal will set into firm polenta when chilled for several hours.

Creamy polenta is served warm, ideally right after being made. A recipe with 4 or more cups water to 1 cup cornmeal will make creamy, soft polenta.

For extra creamy polenta, stir in warm milk or cream, cheese, and/or butter after the polenta is made.

Many recipes make polenta by cooking it slowly on the stovetop until it thickens (for about 1 hour). I prefer the much more convenient method of creamy oven-baked polenta.

More Italian-Inspired Dinners

• Instant Pot Chicken Parmesan Pasta
• One-Pot Spaghetti with Tomatoes and Kale
• Shrimp Linguine with Arugula Pesto

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