Rosemary Polenta

Rosemary Polenta

It's likely that we'll be moving in about two months, so I've been on a quest to use up all of the dry and canned ingredients in my pantry so that I have less to pack.  This polenta was the perfect use for a bag of cornmeal that I had lying around.  This is a great side dish for many different meat dishes, or you could go vegetarian and top this with my roasted mushrooms.  Cheese is nice, but there is plenty of flavor without it.  Add salt to taste, but my broth contained enough for my taste.

-2 3/4 cups chicken broth

-2 cups water
-1 1/2 cups milk (I use skim in everything)
-3 cloves garlic, minced
-1 tsp dried rosemary
-1 1/2 cups yellow cornmeal
-1/2 cup shredded Parmesan or mozzarella cheese (optional)
-salt and black pepper to taste

In a saucepan, bring to a boil the chicken broth, water, milk, garlic, rosemary, and salt. Gradually whisk in cornmeal, set heat to medium-low, and simmer the cornmeal mixture until thick and creamy, stirring often to prevent lumps, about 15 minutes. Remove from the heat, and stir in cheese if using.  Preheat oven to 375.  Grease a 2-quart casserole. Spoon the polenta into the prepared casserole.  Bake in the preheated oven until the polenta is bubbling and golden brown on top, about 30 minutes.