Slow Cooker Italian Soft Polenta Food

SLOW-COOKER ITALIAN SOFT POLENTA

Steps:

• Line 5- to 6-quart slow cooker with slow cooker liner; spray liner with cooking spray. In large bowl, mix broth, cheese blend, cornmeal, dried basil, salt, artichokes, milk and garlic until well blended. Pour mixture into slow cooker.
• Cover; cook on Low heat setting 4 to 5 hours, stirring once halfway through cooking. Turn off slow cooker. Stir in roasted peppers; let stand covered 30 minutes. Stir before serving. Sprinkle individual servings with fresh basil and Parmesan cheese.

SLOW-COOKER POLENTA

Steps:

• In a 6-qt. slow cooker, combine 12 cups broth, cornmeal, onion, garlic, bay leaves and salt. Cook, covered, on low , 6-8 hours, until liquid is absorbed and polenta is creamy. Remove bay leaves. Stir in cream, cheese, butter, pepper and remaining broth. If desired, serve with additional cheese.

SLOW-COOKER BEEF AND POLENTA

Steps:

• Toss the beef with the Italian seasoning, 1/2 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper. Scatter the mushrooms and garlic in a 6- to 8-quart slow cooker; top with the beef. Add the pepperoncini, brine, tomatoes and beef broth. Cover and cook on low until the beef is tender, 8 hours.
• Uncover the slow cooker and let stand 5 minutes. Spoon off any fat from the top and discard. Shred the beef with 2 forks.
• Meanwhile, cook the polenta as the label directs. Remove from the heat and stir in the parmesan and butter until smooth; season with salt and pepper. Divide among bowls and top with the beef mixture.

SOFT POLENTA

Steps:

• In a heavy saucepan, combine the stock and cream, and bring to a boil. Add the nutmeg and salt. Whisk in the polenta and semolina and cook over low heat for about 20 to 30 minutes, stirring often, until the grains are soft. Fold in the cheeses. Serve immediately or reserve.
• To encourage polenta to come cleanly out of the pan, cook over medium heat. Run a spatula or wooden spoon around the sides of the pan to clean off the polenta. Do not stir, but wait and watch for a few seconds until a large bubble begins to form and pushes the polenta upward. Pour immediately into a warm dish.
• The polenta can be made ahead and reheated: add 1/4 to 1/2 cup water or stock, cover the dish, and reheat in the microwave or over low heat. Whisk well before serving. Grate a dusting of Parmesan over the top just before serving.

CREAMY POLENTA

Steps:

• Spray the insert of a slow cooker with cooking spray (for easier clean up) and preheat on high.
• In a medium saucepan, add the milk, 1 cup half-and-half, 1 tablespoon butter, and polenta. Season with salt and bring to a boil over medium-high heat, whisking constantly to keep the mixture lump-free. Boil for 2 to 3 minutes. Pour the mixture into the slow cooker and cook on high for 2 hours, stirring once or twice per hour. Once you are ready to serve, open the slow cooker and whisk in the remaining 1 tablespoon butter, remaining 1/3 cup half-and-half, and Parmesan.

CREAMY SLOW-COOKER POLENTA WITH SAUSAGES

Steps:

• Whisk together the polenta, roasted red peppers, marinara, garlic, olive oil, oregano, garlic powder and 1 teaspoon salt in a 6- to 8-quart slow cooker. Whisk in 5 1/2 cups of water. Cook on low for 6 hours. (The polenta will keep very well on warm.)
• About 10 or 15 minutes before you want to eat, heat the oven to 450 degrees. Lightly coat an oven-safe skillet with olive oil, and roast the sausages in the skillet in the oven until sizzling and browned, about 10 minutes. Remove the skillet and put it over medium-high heat on the stovetop. Add a little more oil if the pan is relatively dry. Add the capers and pepperoncini to the hot skillet with the sausages, and let the capers pop, 1 or 2 minutes. Turn off the heat.
• Stir the Parmesan into the polenta. The polenta will continue to firm up as it cools; stir in a few tablespoons of water if you would like it to be looser. Serve the polenta in shallow bowls topped with sausages, capers and pepperoncini. Pass more Parmesan at the table.

SOFT POLENTA

Steps:

• In a 4-quart saucepan, heat butter over medium heat. Add onions and garlic and sweat for 3 minutes until vegetables are translucent and aromatic. Add chicken stock and cream and bring to a simmer. Whisk in polenta and reduce heat to low. Cook over a low heat for 2 hours, stirring regularly.
• Remove from heat and whisk in cheese and butter, and season with salt and serve.

SOFT POLENTA

Steps:

• Add 4 1/2 cups water, 1 tablespoon salt and the olive oil to a medium saucepot and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Whisk in the cornmeal in a steady stream, until it is all incorporated and smooth.
• Reduce the heat to medium low and continue to cook at a simmer until the polenta is creamy and fully hydrated, 30 to 40 minutes.
• Take the saucepot off the heat and whisk in the butter and Parmesan. Season with additional salt and pepper. Transfer the polenta to a large serving bowl and serve.

SLOW COOKED LAMB SHANKS WITH SOFT POLENTA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 160°C(315°F). Heat oil in a heavy-bottomed casserole dish. It should be big enough to fit the shanks in a single layer. Lightly dust the shanks in the flour and brown in casserole dish. Remove from dish.
• Add onion and cook gently for a few minutes. Stir in garlic, celery, carrot and parsnip. Pour in wine and let come back up to heat, about 1 minute. Return the shanks to the dish. Add the stock, passata herbs and orange peel. Cover and bake for 2 hours or until shanks are tender.
• Gently remove the shanks from the dish and arrange on a warm serving plate. Spoon the vegetables and gravy over the shanks. Discard herbs. Serve with the polenta.
• Polenta: Bring the stock and water to the boil. Slowly rain in the polenta, stirring constantly. Reduce heat and simmer over low heat for 5-6 minutes or until mix starts to leave the side of the pot. Remove from heat, add butter and season with salt and pepper. Spoon into a warm serving dish.

DREAMY POLENTA

Steps:

• Generously grease a 5-qt. slow cooker with 1 tablespoon butter. Add milk, cream, 6 tablespoons butter, cornmeal, salt, rosemary and pepper; stir to combine., Cook, covered, on low 5-6 hours or until polenta is thickened, whisking every hour. Just before serving, whisk again; stir in cheese and remaining butter. Garnish with additional rosemary if desired.

SOFT POLENTA

Steps:

• Bring 3 cups water to a full boil in a heavy pot. Simmer the remaining water close by.
• Add the salt and rapidly stir the water with a whisk, creating a vortex. Continuing to stir constantly, add the polenta in a thin stream into the vortex.
• Continue to stir after all the polenta has been added, then lower the heat to a simmer rather than a boil.
• As the polenta thickens, replace the whisk with a long-handled wooden spoon.
• Add the 1 cup of remaining water and continue to stir. Break up any lumps with the back of the spoon pressed against the pot.
• Continue stirring the polenta, reaching to the bottom of the pot as necessary, until it gets thick and pulls away from the sides of the pot.
• Taste the polenta to test tenderness; add additional water if necessary. The polenta can take 15 to 60 minutes to cook properly, depending on its type.
• During the last 5 minutes of cooking, stir in the pepper and butter, then add the cheese.
• Remove from heat.
• If serving immediately, pour onto a large platter or into a bowl or individual dishes.