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Polenta and Bacon with Fontina

4.5

(21)

Karla Medina of League City, Texas, writes: "At a food festival in downtown Houston, I had a sampler plate from Carmelo's Italian Restaurant. The eggplant Parmesan and spicy meatballs were very good, but the polenta was out of this world. I'd love to know how they prepared it."

Recipe information

  • Yield

    Makes 6 side-dish servings

Ingredients

1/2 cup finely chopped bacon (about 4 ounces)
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 garlic clove, minced
5 cups low-salt chicken broth
1 cup frozen corn kernels, thawed
1 cup polenta (coarse cornmeal)*
1 cup (packed) grated Fontina cheese (about 3 ounces)
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Sauté chopped bacon in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat until crisp, about 8 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer to bowl. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons drippings. Add onion and garlic to drippings in skillet and sauté until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Add chicken broth, corn, and bacon; bring to boil. Gradually add cornmeal, whisking constantly. Cook until polenta is soft and thick, stirring frequently, about 20 minutes. Add Fontina and Parmesan, stirring until melted, about 2 minutes. Stir in chopped parsley. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to bowl and serve hot.

  2. Step 2

    • Available at Italian markets, natural foods stores, and some supermarkets. If unavailable, substitute 1 cup of regular yellow cornmeal, and cook mixture for about 10 minutes.
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