Slow Cooker Polenta Food

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.

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 CHEDDAR POLENTA

Steps:

• Mix water, polenta, olive oil, salt and pepper in slow cooker; whisk until well blended. Add cheddar cheese and whisk again.
• Cover and cook on high setting for about 2 hours, or until liquid is mostly absorbed. Stir together well (polenta should have consistency of thick cooked cereal).
• If not serving right away, pour onto buttered baking sheet with sides, spreading into an even layer; cover with plastic wrap and let cool. When ready to serve, cut into rectangles and sauté in nonstick skillet with olive oil until golden on both sides.

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.

CROCK POT POLENTA

Steps:

• Combine all ingredients in crock pot. Stir well and let sit 10 minutes. Stir well again and turn on crock pot on LOW. Go to bed....wake up. Stir polenta again. NOTE: If you want to add extras like, butter, herbs et c., do it now. You can pour this into a mold like a 8-9" cake pan (greased!) to mold it. Let it cool. Use now or refrigerate and unmold later. Sliced and grilled it is wonderful. Cook it up crispy and serve with syrup for breakfast. Yum

SLOW-COOKER SHORT RIBS WITH CHEESY POLENTA

Steps:

• Combine carrot, onions and garlic in a 6-quart slow cooker.
• Rinse ribs and pat dry; season with salt and pepper.
• Heat oil in a large, wide pot over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking.
• Add ribs, in batches, and cook, turning, until browned on all sides, about 15 minutes.
• Transfer, as cooked, to slow cooker.
• Stir together tomatoes, broth, wine, parsley, cornstarch and tomato paste in a bowl; pour over ribs. Add bay leaf.
• Cover and cook, 9 to 11 hours on LOW or 4-1/2 to 5-1/2 hours on HIGH.
• After cooking, skim off any fat from top (discard bay leaf).
• Combine 3-3/4 cups water, the polenta and salt in a large saucepan over moderately high heat.
• Bring to a boil, stirring constantly.
• Add cheese and cook, stirring constantly, until thickened, about 5 minutes.
• Serve ribs over polenta and garnish with parsley, if desired.

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.

SLOW COOKED MASCARPONE POLENTA

Steps:

• 1. Remember not to use quik cooking polenta.
• 2. Pour one quart of boiling water in med-lg crockpot. Pour polenta in a stream, and start striring and wisking.
• 3. Put lid on and cook on low. Stir polenta every hour or so so polenta dont stick to bottom. It will appear to look done after 3 hours but isnt, cooking time 6hrs. The longer you cook the cremier the polenta. If it appears to be looking too stiff add some more heavy cream, a little at a time.
• 4. 30 mins before serving, add the mascarpone cheese and 1/4 cup heavy cream stir well. Can be turned to warm before serving dinner. Test for seasoning. May add pepper and italian seasoning. Enjoy with favorite dinner.

SLOW COOKER RICOTTA-SPINACH POLENTA WITH TOMATO SALAD

Steps:

• Combine the polenta with 6 1/2 cups water in a 5- to 7-quart slow cooker. Add the butter and 2 teaspoons salt. Cover and cook on LOW until the polenta is thick and tender, about 6 hours.
• With the slow cooker on LOW, stir the polenta well and then stir the spinach into the polenta in 2 batches, covering the cooker and letting the first batch wilt before adding the second, about 5 minutes per batch.
• Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, toss together the tomatoes, oil, and vinegar. Season the tomato salad with salt and pepper.
• Optional: Pour a thin layer of oil into a large skillet over medium-high heat and crack 4 eggs into the pan. Season the eggs with salt and pepper and cook until the whites are golden brown, lacy on the edges, and just set in the middle, and the yolks are still a little jiggly, about 3 minutes.
• Fold the Parmesan and ricotta into the polenta. Taste and season the polenta with salt if necessary. Stir in warm water by the tablespoon if the polenta is looking too thick for your taste-keep in mind it will continue to thicken as it cools. Top bowls of the polenta with the tomato salad and, if you like, the fried eggs.

SLOW COOKER PUMPKIN-PARMESAN POLENTA

Steps:

• In a 6- to 8-quart slow cooker, whisk together the polenta with 10 cups of water, then whisk in the pumpkin. Scatter in 4 tablespoons butter, cut into bits; the salt; a generous amount of pepper; the thyme sprig; 1 sprig of the sage; and 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg. Cook on low for 6 hours, whisking once or twice if possible. (This can hold very well on warm for several hours.)
• Break the cream cheese into pieces and drop them into the polenta; whisk to melt the cream cheese and combine. Remove and discard the herb sprigs. Stir in the remaining 1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg, then stir in the grated Parmesan. Taste and add more salt if necessary.
• In a medium skillet, melt the remaining 8 tablespoons butter over medium-high heat. Pick the leaves from the remaining sage sprigs, and when the butter is melted, drop them in. Cook the butter and the sage, swirling the pan often, until the butter solids start to turn medium-brown and smell toasty, 3 to 5 minutes. (Don't walk away; butter goes from browned to burned in seconds.) Remove the pan from the heat immediately and swirl the browned butter-sage mixture into the polenta. Serve the polenta in a large platter or shallow bowl, topped with a bit more Parmesan and more nutmeg if desired.
• In a large pot, bring 10 cups of water to boil over high heat. Add the polenta in a steady steam while whisking constantly. Reduce the heat to low or medium-low. (You want the polenta-water mixture to be steaming hot, but not boiling.) Continue to whisk constantly for about 3 minutes, until the polenta and water have formed a smooth mixture. Whisk in the pumpkin, 4 tablespoons butter, the salt, a generous amount of pepper, the thyme sprig, 1 sage sprig and 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg. Once all the ingredients are combined, cover and cook for 40 minutes, whisking well every 10 minutes.
• Uncover the pot and cook for about 1 hour more, whisking every 10 minutes, until the polenta is smooth and tender, and the mixture has thickened and is creamy but not runny.
• Break the cream cheese into small pieces and drop them into the polenta; whisk to melt the cream cheese and combine. Remove and discard the herb sprigs. Stir in the remaining 1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg and the grated Parmesan. Taste and add more salt if necessary.
• Melt the remaining 8 tablespoons of butter over medium-high heat in a medium skillet. Pick the leaves from the remaining sage sprigs and when the butter is melted, drop them in. Cook the butter and the sage, swirling the pan often, until the butter solids start to turn medium brown and smell toasty, 3 to 5 minutes. (Don't walk away; butter goes from browned to burned in seconds.) Remove the pan from the heat immediately and swirl the browned butter-sage mixture into the polenta. Serve the polenta in a large platter or shallow bowl, topped with a bit more Parmesan and more nutmeg if desired.