Polenta Croutons

By Ann Fulton

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Tender on the inside and crispy on the outside, these golden bites are simple to make and add staying power to salads-although sneaky fingers are likely to devour them hot off the baking sheet!

 

When I was growing up, clothes shopping with my mom was purely functional.  We had fun, of course, but we bought the necessities.

There was pretty much no way she was going to fork over the money for anything with a designer label.  Her reply when I begged for a pair of Gloria Vanderbilt jeans was that she was simply not going to pay $30 for a pair of jeans, especially when they looked like they were “painted on.”  (If we could only score a pair of designer jeans for 30 bucks today!)

Of course, “all” my 8th grade friends were sporting the gorgeous dark denim with the plain back pockets.  Until then, all the pockets had a web of gold or white stitching running from one side to the other–think Jordache, Sassoon, Lee, and Wrangler.  (Does this make anyone else think of random fashions of years gone by?)

And then, for my 13th birthday, it happened. I got the jeans. It was my one and only present, and I was ecstatic.

Back-to-school shopping trips remained focused on the basics, but it was around that time that my mom, sister, and I started making a fun day of the task.  We’d drive an hour to King of Prussia where there were lots of stores that we didn’t have at our regular mall.  And there was a bonus: we always stayed for dinner.

For many years, our go-to was a restaurant called Bertolini’s.  The first time we ate there, I ordered a salad that included polenta croutons.  I loved those croutons so much that I’m pretty sure I ordered that salad every single time we returned.  Eventually, the menu changed, but as a special request, they’d still make the salad.

Tender on the inside and crispy on the outside, these golden bites are simple to make and add staying power to salads-although sneaky fingers are likely to devour them hot off the baking sheet! 

After the Gloria Vanderbilt jeans, any designer purchase was to be made with my hard-earned babysitting money.  That was a good lesson.  Things mean a little more when you work for them yourself.

Bertolini’s eventually closed.  If I wanted those tasty croutons, I had to figure that one out for myself, too!

A word of caution: sticky fingers tend to pluck these tasty morsels right off the baking sheet. That’s a-ok, unless you had thoughts of using them in a salad.

Think of these as a heartier, more savory option to a lightweight bread crouton.  And stay tuned for one of our favorite ways to enjoy them.😉

Polenta Croutons
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients
  • 16 ounces precooked polenta*
  • 1 tablespoon (14ml) olive oil
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt and a few turns of the pepper mill
  • ¼ teaspoon garlic powder (not garlic salt)
  • 2 tablespoons (10g) grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 400℉, and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Slice the polenta log into ¾- to 1-inch cubes. (To avoid wasting any of the polenta, I don’t square off the sides and ends to make perfect cubes. Instead, I cut into ¾- to 1-inch thick round slices and then chop those into mostly uniform pieces. Some will inevitably be more triangular, and some will be squarer. That’s ok—just aim for mostly even thickness.)
  2. Place the cubes in a large bowl, and gently toss with the olive oil, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Sprinkle with the Parmesan, and toss again to evenly coat. Arrange the cubes on the prepared baking sheet so that they’re not touching, then bake for 25-30 minutes, turning once after about 15 minutes, or until lightly golden and crisp on the outside. (The croutons should still be tender on the inside as opposed to being crunchy throughout. This bit of chewiness is what makes them extra satisfying.)
Notes

* Look for a plastic-wrapped tube or log (much like a fatter version of prepared cookie dough) in the refrigerated section of the grocery store. Some stores have prepared polenta in the organic refrigerated section. Recently I did see it stored at room temperature, too. I have purchased 16-ounce packages and 24-ounce packages. If you find the larger size, you can prepare 1½ times the recipe (for example, 1½ tablespoon olive oil, 3 tablespoons Parmesan, etc.) for a total of 6 servings instead of 4.

If you have leftovers, cool and store in an airtight container. The crisp exterior of these croutons will fade. To “refresh” them, place the croutons in a 325℉ oven for about 10 minutes. They’ll taste as good as new.

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Comments

  1. Candy Post author

    These are my new favorite thing! Everyone thought they were fantastic and fun because they were really novel. Polenta is going on my weekly shopping list from here on out!

    Reply
  2. ally

    What a beautiful story, Ann! Back to school shopping was much the same for me…actually, IF there was any shopping at all. Love these croutons…as I said, I’ll dip mine in some marinara! xoxo

    Reply
    1. Ann Post author

      So true, Ally. As a kid it’s easy to lose track of the fact that we were lucky to go shopping at all. And yum on the marinara!

      Reply
  3. Misbah

    Thank you for sharing. I love reading the stories behind the food. Your polenta croutons sound like a great and delicious options. xx Misbah

    Reply
  4. Katie Post author

    I made these last night and you are right. It’s hard not to eat them straight off the baking sheet! I added them to a big salad which I then topped with grilled shrimp. SO GOOD!!!

    Reply
  5. Julie

    We love polenta, and I can’t wait to try these croutons. My biggest obstacles will be to keep John’s hands off the pan before they hit the salad! I can remember saving my baby sitting money for a pair of jeans too. There wasn’t any frivolous spending in our family either!

    Reply
    1. Ann Post author

      Such fun memories, Julie…and some good lessons, too! Enjoy these with your John. (I have a John, too!)

      Reply
  6. Lynn Hachenberg

    And thanks for all of your lovely recipes. I’m so happy I found your website; it’s one of my favorites!

    Reply