For thicker polenta, spread in one 9″x13″ pan. Use 3 cups apples, ⅓ cup butter, 1 tablespoon sugar and ⅛ cinnamon.
Polenta with Caramelized Apples
August 25, 2011 By 1 Comment
Fall will soon be upon us and that means apples galore. Apple Pie, Apple Turnovers, Apple Crisp, Apple Butter, Apple Cider, Applesauce are just some of the popular favorites.
One of my favorites is warm caramelized apples over creamy vanilla bean ice cream, so simple. With caramelized apples on my mind and polenta in the pantry I combined these two delicious foods to make one delicious dish.
This makes a great after school snack for the kids but also can be great to serve for entertaining. I love dishes that can go either way. The kids will love the sweetness of the apples combined with the richness of the polenta. Your guests will be surprised when you offer them one of these little bites of goodness not expecting to have caramelized apples with creamy melted cheese on top of polenta.
The recipe I created makes the polenta thin, only half inch thick two inch pieces. This will also yield about 30 pieces which can be quite a bit, especially if its just for an after school snack. You can either make all 30 pieces and store it in an air tight container and have a few days worth of snacks to make. Make the caramelized apples and store separately and top as needed and reheat in the oven at 325 until warm and top with cheese.
If you prefer thicker pieces of polenta, you will not need as much of the caramelized apples. For a thicker version use one 9”x13” rimmed pan, and cut the recipe in half for the apples and butter. I have included that version on the recipe below.
Either way its made I’m sure it will be enjoyed!
Polenta with Caramelized Apples
Ingredients
1 pound instant polenta
6 cups peeled chopped apples
½ cup butter
2 tablespoons sugar
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup mild white cheddar cheese, shredded
Directions
Prepare polenta following the package instructions. Spread polenta ½ inch thick on to 2 greased 9”x13” rimmed baking sheets or and set aside.
In a large bowl toss apples with sugar and cinnamon. Melt butter over medium heat in a large skillet. Add apples to skillet and cook, stirring occasionally until apples are tender, about 15 minutes. Drain any access butter.
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Cut polenta in to 2 inch squares or use a cookie cutter to cut out pieces. Top polenta with apples and sprinkle with cheese. Bake in oven for 5 minutes until cheese is melted.
Serve warm.
~Variations~
Before serving sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar.
Omit cheese and drizzle with warm caramel sauce.
For thicker polenta, spread in one 9″x13″ pan. Use 3 cups apples, ⅓ cup butter, 1 tablespoon sugar and ⅛ cinnamon.
For thicker polenta, spread in one 9″x13″ pan. Use 3 cups apples, ⅓ cup butter, 1 tablespoon sugar and ⅛ cinnamon.
Happy cooking!
I’d love to try this out sometime, it sounds delicious! I’m a fan of combining sweet and savory, so the addition of the cheese makes it really special