Polenta Pizza!

Oh it was a super day for  Super Bowl. It was also quite the day for bowls in general. I am pretty sure I used basically every single bowl in my cupboard today. Bowls for salsa, hummus, cheddar jalapeno dip, tortilla chips, veggies, tossing wings in BBQ sauce. It was quite the day for the bowl. One could say that bowls were so important today that it really made them all "super" bowls. Right? right? right?

Ok. So probably not the same "super" bowl as THE Super Bowl considering the real Super Bowl involves a football, and some hitting, grunting, beer, hot dogs, and bad nachos that taste like cardboard. None of my bowls contained any of that.

However, I love that the Super Bowl turns everyone into a fan for a day. Even if you are just a fan of the food, it brings out the best in snacks, drinks, and friendly competition.

So what did I make?

Polenta Pizza. Basically it was like eating corn bread with melted cheese and veggies on the top! Great combination.

Recipe: Polenta Pizza (adapted from Brown Eyed Baker's recipe)  

Ingredients:

1/2 cup milk

2 1/2 cup water

pinch of salt

1 cup coarse corn meal

1 tbsp olive oil, plus more for oiling the pan

1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded

1/2 cup spinach

1 small tomato, sliced thinly

1/4 cup red onion, sliced thinly

1/2 green pepper, sliced thinly

1/4 cup ham diced

Directions:

Oil a cookie sheet or pizza pan. In a sauce pan, over medium to high heat, bring the milk, water and salt to an almost boil.

Reduce heat and add corn meal, constantly stirring while adding the corn meal, and break up any lumps. Reduce heat to low and continue to stir the corn meal (now its turning into polenta) mixture.  Continue stirring until the polenta thickens into a thick oatmeal consistency, approximately 10 minutes. Yes, 10 minutes seems like a reaaal long time.

 You should see my right bicep now!

Now the polenta has thickened, add olive oil and working quickly spread it on to the cookie sheet. You want to work quickly so the mixture doesn't stiffen. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, cover, and refrigerate for at least an hour.

Pre-heat the over to 450 F and bake the polenta for 30 minutes, or until the edges begin to brown.

While you wait grate the cheese, and slice and dice your toppings of choice. When you take the polenta out sprinkle with cheese, and then add your toppings. Put the pizza back into the oven and bake for another 15-20 minutes or the cheese has melted and your toppings have baked up to your preference.

Cut into slice and top with Parmesan and crushed red pepper flakes.

Is that a wing on the side there? Why yes, yes it is! (Its actually a garden meatless buffalo wing, but they were realllly good!)

 

Just super.