Polenta and veggie bites with honeyed cheese
These make-ahead polenta appetizers are delicious and healthy. Grilled polenta is smeared with honeyed cheese and topped with slow cooked tomatoes, caramelized onions and melted peppers.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hours 15 minutes
- Yield: 48 appetizers 1x
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
Scale
- 4 red bell peppers (2.5 to 3 pounds), sliced into 1/4″ strips
- 1/4 c olive oil
- 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar (cooking quality)
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 2 cups polenta Valsugana or other comparable fast-cooking polenta
- 1 T salt
- 9 cups of water
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 11 ounces goat cheese
- 1/3 pound gorgonzola or cambozola cheese
- 4 heaping T honey, divided
- 1 T fresh rosemary, chopped
- 1 T fresh thyme, chopped
- 10 slow-roasted tomato halves (see linked recipe above)
- 3/4 cup caramelized onions
- 10 strips of prosciutto (optional)
Instructions
- In a saute pan, heat olive oil and balsamic and add pepper strips. Stir to coat and turn heat down to low. Cook slowly, stirring occasionally for about 45 minutes, until peppers are soft and beginning to caramelize on the edges. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
- Bring water and 1 T of salt to a boil in a sauce pan. Stir in 2 cups of polenta and turn down heat to medium low. Cook, stirring almost continuously for 6 to 8 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in grated parmesan cheese. Spread polenta in a 18″ x 13″ jelly roll pan that has been lightly rubbed with olive oil. Let the polenta sit for 15 – 20 minutes.
- While polenta is setting up, roughly mash goat cheese, 2 T honey and thyme in a bowl. Don’t over mix. There should be veins of honey running through the cheese.
- In a second bowl, roughly mash the gorgonzola, rosemary and honey together, also leaving veins of honey that are not fully incorporated into the cheese.
- When the polenta is set and firm, slice the pans of polenta into 30 squares.
- Heat a non-stick griddle or large skillet and cook the polenta squares over medium heat about 8 minutes on each side, until they begin to turn light golden brown. Remove and place on serving trays.
- On 10 of the polenta squares, smear with herbed cheese and place a roasted tomato half on top. On 10 of the remaining polenta squares, put a dollop of herbed cheese and twirl a few strips of the peppers on top of the cheese. On the 10 remaining polenta squares, put a dollop of herbed cheese and top with caramelized onions. Serve at warm or at room temperature.
Notes
You can add an optional twirl of prosciutto to the polenta squares. Cut a few inch piece of prosciutto and twirl it into a rose shape. Place it on top of the cheese and then top with one of the three vegetables.