| Spicy Polenta Bites |
Author: Anita
Prep time: 20 mins
Cook time: 15 mins
Total time: 35 mins
Ingredients
- 1 tube pre-made polenta (I used sun-dried tomato & garlic polenta)
- ⅓ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup Basil Chile Pesto (recipe here)
- ¼ cup sun-dried tomatoes in oil
- ¼ cup crumbled Cotija cheese
- 2 tbsp diced hot green chiles
Instructions
- Chop the sun dried tomatoes up into little pieces and set aside.
- Slice the polenta into ¼ inch slices. (See notes for making bite-sized ones)
- Coat a large nonstick skillet with the olive oil and fry polenta until golden brown on each side (about 2 minutes per side), then remove with a slotted spoon and place on paper towels to drain. You will have to fry them in batches of about 6 to 8 at a time.
- To assemble each polenta bite, take a polenta disc, smear it with basil chile pesto, sprinkle sun dried tomatoes on top, then cover with about a half teaspoon of Cotija cheese. Top with a few pieces of diced green chiles.
- Serve within about an hour or they get soft. *See notes
Notes
To make the bite-sized Spicy Polenta Bites (1½ inch in diameter), crumble the tube of polenta into a saucepan.
Add ⅓ cup water, cover, and cook on low for about 10 minutes.
Use a potato masher to mash into a smooth consistency.
Spread to ¼ inch thickness on a flexible cutting board or a cutting board covered in wax paper. Use a cookie cutter (or similar, like a bottle cap) to cut out discs of polenta.
Fry per regular instructions and assemble the miniature versions just like the larger ones.
Add ⅓ cup water, cover, and cook on low for about 10 minutes.
Use a potato masher to mash into a smooth consistency.
Spread to ¼ inch thickness on a flexible cutting board or a cutting board covered in wax paper. Use a cookie cutter (or similar, like a bottle cap) to cut out discs of polenta.
Fry per regular instructions and assemble the miniature versions just like the larger ones.
Recipe by Denver Green Chili at https://denvergreenchili.com/recipes/appetizers/hors-doeuvres/spicy-polenta-bites/