• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • ABOUT
  • CONTACT
  • RECIPES
  • TRAVEL
  • LIFESTYLE
    • FASHION
    • BEAUTY
    • HOME
  • SUBSCRIBE

Luci's Morsels logo

menu icon
go to homepage
  • ABOUT
  • CONTACT
  • RECIPES
  • TRAVEL
  • LIFESTYLE
    • FASHION
    • BEAUTY
    • HOME
  • SUBSCRIBE
search icon
Homepage link
  • ABOUT
  • CONTACT
  • RECIPES
  • TRAVEL
  • LIFESTYLE
    • FASHION
    • BEAUTY
    • HOME
  • SUBSCRIBE
×

Home > Recipes > Starters

Published: Sep 24, 2021 · Modified: Sep 10, 2023 by Luci Petlack

Crispy Polenta

Jump to Recipe - Print Recipe
Crispy, Cheesy Polenta Sticks Recipe w. Easy, Homemade Garlic Marinara Dipping Sauce. Wondering how to get crispy polenta sticks? here's the recipe. This delicious appetizer is great for dinner parties!
Crispy, Cheesy Polenta Sticks Recipe w. Easy, Homemade Garlic Marinara Dipping Sauce. Wondering how to get crispy polenta sticks? here's the recipe. This delicious appetizer is great for dinner parties!
Crispy, Cheesy Polenta Sticks Recipe w. Easy, Homemade Garlic Marinara Dipping Sauce. Wondering how to get crispy polenta sticks? here's the recipe. This delicious appetizer is great for dinner parties!
Crispy, Cheesy Polenta Sticks Recipe w. Easy, Homemade Garlic Marinara Dipping Sauce. Wondering how to get crispy polenta sticks? here's the recipe. This delicious appetizer is great for dinner parties!
Crispy Polenta Fries. Wondering how to get crispy polenta sticks? here's the recipe. This delicious appetizer is great for dinner parties! #lmrecipes #appetizer #appetizers #starters #recipes #foodblog #foodblogger

Crispy Polenta Sticks

So, about these polenta fries…

If you’ve followed along with me for any length of time, you might be a little surprised to see ‘cheesy’ in a recipe of mine. And if I’d left ‘fried’ in the recipe name as I originally planned, you might have fallen out of your seat from shock.

Crispy Polenta Sticks

As part of my healthy eating (read my weight loss story), I tend to leave the fat and calories for dessert, but every once in awhile, one must succumb to the deliciousness that is cheesy, crispy polenta fries and cross her fingers that she can skip out on dessert.

Whether or not I actually skipped out on dessert is a completely different story and one which I don’t want to talk about right now. Thank you for understanding! 😉

CONTENTS

  • Crispy Polenta Fries
    • How to get Crispy Polenta Fries
    • What to serve with polenta fries?
    • More Polenta Recipes
  • CRISPY POLENTA

Crispy Polenta Fries

Apparently thyme is in season from spring to fall (thank you, seasonal cookbooks), but the recent batch I brought home from the market was so much more fragrant than anything before it.

Thyme can be very universal in cooking, whether you add it to pasta sauces, marinades, grilled meat and veggies, or roasted potatoes (my favorite). I’ve also become obsessed with drying fresh herbs to add to my spice and seasoning drawer!

Sadly, I’ve had pretty terrible luck growing herbs here in LA, much to my husband’s chagrin. So I’m stuck buying them at the store, but the fresh thyme adds so much freshness to dishes, like these crispy polenta fries, it won’t slow me down.

See how to store fresh herbs so they last!

How to get Crispy Polenta Fries

The trick to getting crispy polenta fries is being patient while the moisture cooks out of the fries to get those crispy edges. And if you’re using a metal pan, make sure you’re using a metal spatula to turn these morsels or the crispy part might stick to the pan and not your fries. Nobody wants that!

I’m also sad to report that you’ll need PLENTY of hot oil to make sure the polenta is frying, crisping, and detaching from the pan.

What to serve with polenta fries?

Polenta just screams Italian food to me, so when I whipped these up, I added Italian herbs and made a marinara dip. Get the recipe for easy homemade marinara sauce here or simply buy your favorite premade variety!

More Polenta Recipes

If you love polenta, try this cheesy polenta with jalapenos and this meal prep sausage & polenta recipe!

Cheesy Crispy Polenta Sticks
Print Recipe
5 from 10 votes

CRISPY POLENTA

This recipe almost needs no introduction. Polenta sticks are always a crowd pleaser and they're actually quite easy. There is some patience required as the moisture from the polenta cooks out to make them crispy, but it'll be worth it with every bite!
Prep Time5 minutes mins
Cook Time45 minutes mins
Total Time50 minutes mins
Course: Starters and Sides
Cuisine: American
Keyword: appetizers, entertaining, side dish, side dishes, sides, vegetarian
Servings: 16
Calories: 96kcal
Author: Luci Petlack

Ingredients

  • 6 Cups water
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 2 Cups cornmeal I used Bob's Red Mill
  • 1½ Tablespoons butter
  • 2 teaspoons thyme leaves ¾ teaspoon dried
  • ¼ Cup shredded cheddar cheese
  • ¼ Cup shredded parmesan cheese plus more for garnish
  • olive oil/vegetable oil

Instructions

  • Bring water to boil in large pot. Whisk in salt and cornmeal. Reduce heat to low. Cook about fifteen minutes until thick consistency is reached, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking on the bottom of the pan. Add butter, thyme, and cheeses.
  • Pour polenta in square baking dish. Flatten top. Cover and refrigerate at least two hours.
  • Remove polenta from refrigerator. Cut into sixteen sticks.
  • Heat large frying pan over medium heat. Add oil to thinly cover bottom. Add sticks to hot oil. Let cook on each side until golden brown, adding oil as needed.
  • The first side will take close to ten minutes to brown as the heat removes water from the polenta sticks. Subsequent sides will take less time.
  • Remove finished sticks to paper towel to drain. Serve with parmesan cheese and favorite marinara sauce.

Notes

Make this recipe? I'd love to see how it turned out…
PINTEREST: Upload a photo and your review to this Pin!
INSTAGRAM:  Tag me @lucismorsels and use #LMrecipes

Nutrition

Calories: 96kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.04g | Cholesterol: 5mg | Sodium: 343mg | Potassium: 70mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 0.3g | Vitamin A: 62IU | Vitamin C: 0.4mg | Calcium: 27mg | Iron: 1mg

More Starters Posts

  • Eggplant Dip Recipe
  • Hummus Toast Topping Ideas
  • Make Ahead Veggie Hors d’oeuvres
  • Mexican Fruit Cup

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Margaret Santos says

    May 16, 2023 at 1:16 pm

    5 stars
    Have you ever made in an air fryer? I want to freeze leftover polenta to try this.

    Reply
    • Luci Petlack says

      May 17, 2023 at 8:20 am

      Hi Margaret! No, I haven’t tried them in the air fryer, but I bet it would be super easy to do. Please let me know if you do it; I’d love to know how it goes! xo, Luci

      Reply
  2. Amanda Wren-Grimwood says

    January 04, 2023 at 1:06 am

    5 stars
    I’ve always wanted to make polenta fries and this recipe is perfect. Thanks for the recipe.

    Reply
  3. MacKenzie says

    January 03, 2023 at 8:58 pm

    5 stars
    These polenta fries turned out so crispy and flavorful.

    Reply
  4. Jill says

    January 03, 2023 at 7:20 pm

    5 stars
    Your beautiful photos enticed me to try this new to me recipe. So delicious! Will be making these again!

    Reply
  5. Anjali says

    January 03, 2023 at 7:06 pm

    5 stars
    Omg these fries were so comforting and totally hit the spot when I was craving fries earlier today! Easy to make and tasty too!

    Reply
  6. Gina says

    January 03, 2023 at 7:03 pm

    5 stars
    Love polenta and these crispy polenta fries were amazing! Thanks for the great recipe!

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Primary Sidebar

Sustainable Blog

LUCI IS THE EDITOR OF LUCI’S MORSELS. SHE IS A WIFE, MOTHER, AND DAUGHTER. PASSIONATE ABOUT LIVING HAPPILY AND SUSTAINABLY, LUCI SHARES HER JOURNEY THROUGH MAKING LONG-LASTING CHOICES FOR STYLE, FOOD, TRAVEL, AND FAMILY. SHE SEEKS TO MAKE A SUSTAINABLE LIVING STYLISH AND DOABLE FOR EVERYONE!

READ MORE…

Featured In

Luci's Morsels Featured In - vertical
  • Champagne Grape Scones
  • The Best Salad Toppings
  • Refillable Travel Toiletries
  • Innersense Hair Products Review
  • What to Wear with Linen Pants
  • Sarah Flints Shoes Review
  • Lemon Tuna Pasta
    Tuna Pasta
  • beautycounter charcoal mask
    Best Beautycounter Products
  • Fall Family Photoshoot Outfit
  • Hummus Vegan Wrap
  • How to Layer Cashmere Sweaters
    Layered Sweater Outfit
  • Make Ahead Breakfast Tacos - LowFODMAP Recipe Options
    Low-FODMAP Breakfast Tacos
  • Compost Machine Review
  • Kids’ Fruit Platter
  • The Little Bra Company Review - Best Bras for Small Busts
    The Little Bra Company Review
  • Burrata Toast
Sustainable Seasonal Cookbooks
Seasonal Cookbook Set

Stay Updated

Get exclusive content straight to your inbox. Seasonal recipes, sustainable living tips, stylish outfit ideas, and travel guides!

Footer

Crispy, Cheesy Polenta Sticks Recipe w. Easy, Homemade Garlic Marinara Dipping Sauce. Wondering how to get crispy polenta sticks? here's the recipe. This delicious appetizer is great for dinner parties!
Crispy, Cheesy Polenta Sticks Recipe w. Easy, Homemade Garlic Marinara Dipping Sauce. Wondering how to get crispy polenta sticks? here's the recipe. This delicious appetizer is great for dinner parties!
Crispy, Cheesy Polenta Sticks Recipe w. Easy, Homemade Garlic Marinara Dipping Sauce. Wondering how to get crispy polenta sticks? here's the recipe. This delicious appetizer is great for dinner parties!
Crispy, Cheesy Polenta Sticks Recipe w. Easy, Homemade Garlic Marinara Dipping Sauce. Wondering how to get crispy polenta sticks? here's the recipe. This delicious appetizer is great for dinner parties!
Crispy Polenta Fries. Wondering how to get crispy polenta sticks? here's the recipe. This delicious appetizer is great for dinner parties! #lmrecipes #appetizer #appetizers #starters #recipes #foodblog #foodblogger

^ back to top

ABOUT

  • Privacy Policy
  • Accessibility Policy

Sign Up for the LM Newsletter

CONTACT

  • About
  • Contact
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Facebook

As an Affiliate Partner I earn from qualifying purchases.

Copyright © 2023 lucismorsels.com

 

Loading Comments...