Are you polenta fan? Do you ever make creamy polenta and wonder what to do with the leftovers? Well, these Oven Baked Polenta Fries are a fun way to use up those pesky leftovers!
These polenta fries are great served as a side dish or they make a fantastic appetizer. Easy to make and no frying required. Serve these guys up with your favorite pasta sauce for a special "leftovers" treat.
What you'll need to make these fries
Leftover Creamy Polenta
or
For the Polenta:
Chicken or Vegetable Stock
Jack or Fontina Cheese
To Make the Fries:
All purpose flour - can sub with gluten free if desired.
Olive Oil
Sea Salt
Parmesan Cheese optional - for garnish
Fresh Parsley - optional, for garnish
Prepared Marinara - for dipping
Tip + Tricks
Make sure the polenta is cool and firm before slicing into "fry" shapes.
Don't add extra liquid to the polenta recipe. If you add extra liquid, the fries may loose their shape when they are cooked.
Lightly coat each "fry" in flour, be sure to shake off excess flour. The "fries" may break if not careful during this step, so handle each piece delicately.
Other recipes you may enjoy
Serve these polenta fries as an appetizer or as a side dish for sandwiches like Steak Sliders or Portobello Mushroom Melts. Add some veggies to your meal with Maple Roasted Carrots or Vegan Caesar Salad.
Oven Baked Polenta Fries
Ingredients
- 4 Cups Chicken Stock or broth or vegetable stock or broth
- 1 Cup Dried Polenta
- 8 Oz Jack Cheese cubed
- ¾ Cup Flour
- 3 Tbsp Olive Oil
- Sprinkle Sea Salt
- Sprinkle Parmesan Cheese optional, for garnish
- Sprinkle Fresh Parsley optional, for garnish
- 1 Cup Prepared Marinara for dipping
Instructions
To Make the Polenta (Skip and jump to how to make the polenta fries, if using leftover polenta)
- In a food processor or high speed blender, add the dried polenta and ground to a fine meal. Set aside. Cut the jack cheese into ½ inch cubes.
- In an 8 quart saucepan, bring the chicken stock to a boil. Slowly whisk in the ground polenta. Continue whisking, the polenta will start to thicken almost immediately. As the polenta thickens (will only take 1-2 minutes), turn the stove down to medium-low.
- Using a wooden spoon or heat safe spatula, stir in the jack cheese. Continue stirring until the jack cheese has completely melted. (2-3 minutes)
- Turn off the heat, cover with a lid and let rest 5 minutes.
- Pour polenta into a glass baking dish (8x10). Allow the polenta to cool and firm up 4 hours - overnight.
To Make the Polenta Fries
- Preheat the oven to 400F
- Brush the baking sheet with olive oil.
- Carefully remove the now solid polenta from the baking dish and place on a cutting board. Use a butter knife and gently release the polenta from the edge of the dish if needed.
- Slice the polenta into french fry size strips about ¼ inch thick and 4 inches long.
- Lightly coat each polenta fry in flour, be sure to gently tap off any excess flour, and add to the baking sheet.
- Spray or drizzle the fries lightly with olive oil (I like how evenly the spray distributes the oil, but it's optional).
- Bake the fries for 10 - 12 minutes, remove from oven.
- Gently flip the fries over to cook the other side. Use a spatula and a fork to gently flip the fries to prevent them from breaking. Bake another 10 minutes or until golden brown.
- Sprinkle with salt and parmesan cheese when fresh from the oven.
- Plate and serve with your favorite marinara or pesto sauce.
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