Baked Cheesy Polenta
Tender inside with an irresistible baked crust. So tasty! Cheesy polenta is a simple Italian dish - essentially a bake made from thick corn porridge. Warm, it’s soft and delicate with a bold cheese flavor. Serve it with fresh vegetables, any sauce, or as a side for fish, meat, or chicken.
Updated : 03 February, 2026
Easy
About 10 min.
Ingredients
200 grams
Corn grits
800 milliliters
Water
to taste
Salt
130 grams
Hard cheese
25 grams
Butter
Table
Table of volume measurements:
- teaspoon - 5 ml
- dessert spoon - 10 ml
- tablespoon - 20 ml
- glass - 200 ml
Preparation
Step 1
How do you make polenta with cheese? Prepare the ingredients. Choose good-quality cheese - the flavor of the dish depends on it. Any cheese works: hard, semi-hard, or soft (like mozzarella). The key is that it’s tasty, high quality, without non-dairy fat substitutes, and melts well. Use more or less cheese to taste. Preheat the oven to 180°C / 356°F.
Step 2
Cook the corn porridge. Bring water to a boil in a suitable heavy-bottomed pot. Add salt. Pour in the corn grits and stir. Cook over low heat, stirring often, because as it thickens it will stick to the bottom. From time to time, add a little boiling water so the grits cook through more evenly. Cooking time depends on how finely the grits are ground - the finer they are, the faster the porridge cooks.
Step 3
Grate part of the cheese on a fine grater and cut the rest into small pieces. I used two kinds of hard cheese with different flavors.
Step 4
The porridge will be quite thick. Add butter to the hot polenta and stir.
Step 5
Stir in part of the grated cheese. Mix well.
Step 6
Grease a baking dish with a small amount of butter. Spoon in the corn porridge and smooth it out. My dish was 23 cm / 9 in in diameter.
Step 7
Press the cheese pieces into the porridge.
Step 8
Sprinkle the top with the remaining grated cheese.
Step 9
Bake in the preheated 180°C / 356°F oven until the cheese melts, about 10-15 minutes. The exact time depends on your oven.
Step 10
Serve the cheesy polenta warm, with any sauce or as a side dish. Enjoy your meal!
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