Polenta-Tot Poutine

What is polenta? That’s the question I get many times when I make a dish including it! I mean, I grew up on polenta, and I love getting experimental with it now in different ways! But many people may not know how to use it or be scared to cook with it! Not anymore. Polenta is cornmeal, boiled with water or broth to form into a sticky pancake-like food to then enjoy as you wish! BUT here’s a recipe to celebrate Canada’s 150^th Birthday….a-la-poutine style! Serve this up at your next BBQ and you’re sure to have a winning dish for everyone to enjoy.

Serves 12 people

Ingredients:

• 4 Tbsp Butter
• 2 Tbsp Fresh thyme, chopped
• 1 Clove Garlic, minced
• 2 tsp Fresh Cracked Sea Salt
• 2 Cups No Sodium Vegetable Broth
• 1 Cup Water
• 2 Cups Cornmeal

For the Feta Cheese Curds:

• ⅓ Cup Finely Chopped Fresh Dill
• 1½ Tbsp Dijon Mustard
• 3 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 2 Cups Crumbled Feta Cheese

Directions:

1. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a large saucepan, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the thyme, garlic, salt and allow for all flavours to blend, about 2 minutes.
3. Add the broth and water, bringing to a boil. Once boiled, lower the heat to medium-low, gradually whisking in the cornmeal.
4. Once all cornmeal is added to the saucepan, continue to whisk for about 3-5 minutes until the cornmeal is dissolved, holding the same consistency throughout.
5. Scrape polenta onto prepared baking sheet, evenly distributing the polenta so that the tops are smooth.
6. Refrigerate for one hour, or up to 24 hours ahead of time.
7. Once polenta sets, remove from the fridge and preheat oven to 375^o
8. Cut polenta into small 1-inch squares, or whatever shape you’d like and place on an ungreased baking sheet. (you can use the same baking sheet the polenta was in the refrigerator on, but remove the parchment paper).
9. Place the polenta squares in the preheated oven and bake for 20 minutes, turning each square over at the halfway point.
10. While the polenta tots bake, prepare the feta cheese curds. Mix together the dill, Dijon and olive oil in a medium-sized bowl. Add in the crumbled feta and stir to combine all ingredients.
11. Once the polenta tots are baked, make individual servings or serve the whole dish on a large platter with the feta cheese curds mixed in between or simply on top.