Weeknight Polenta

I subscribe to the Culinate newsletter. Though it tends to be quite basic, I think it gives me a boost I sometimes need to help me remember to cook the simple recipes that I love to both make and eat. When I saw this recipe in my email a few weeks ago, I knew I had to come back to it soon for a cold night, homey rendition of polenta. I've been a fan of polenta for a few years now (How did I not know I liked it mushy sooner?*), but I usually just cook it until the water has absorbed, and I used a rough 2 or 3 to 1 ratio. What I a fool I was!

This recipe makes The. Best. Polenta. The key is to use WAY more water than polenta. The ratio is 8:1! Like my traditional recipe, You boil water, then slowly pour in polenta, whisking all the while. But then you lower the heat and get ready to cook for about an hour, stirring for a full minute once every 10 minutes. If it starts to get too thick or is sticking to your pan and that bothers you, add 1/2 cup more water. I'll write it again. This is the best polenta I've ever made. When it's done, just stir in a pat of butter or some grated parmesan or both or neither. Top with veggies on hand. One night we did kale, tomato, and honey nut squash (so cute mini butternuts!) with baby lima beans, another night we did spicy sausage.

*I know I grew up eating polenta. For some reason, my mother only served it to us in solid squares, broiled and served alongside veggies instead of my preferred bowl-style.