Polenta-Stuffed Peppers
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Everyday Food, April 2005
- Prep Time 30 minutes
- Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
- Yield Serves 4
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Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 1 1/2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh rosemary (or 3/4 teaspoon dried rosemary, crumbled)
- Coarse salt and ground pepper
- 1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
- 1 package (10 ounces) frozen corn kernels, thawed
- 1 cup shredded sharp white cheddar cheese
- 4 red bell peppers, halved lengthwise through stem, ribs and seeds removed
Directions
- In a medium saucepan, melt 1 tablespoon butter over medium-high. Cook onion, stirring often, until lightly browned, 5 minutes. Add 3 cups water, rosemary, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper; bring to a boil.
- Whisking constantly, gradually add cornmeal, whisking until incorporated before adding more. Reduce to a simmer; cook, whisking frequently, until thickened, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in corn, remaining 3 tablespoons butter, and half the cheese until melted.
- Place peppers in a large baking dish; fill with polenta mixture. Cool to room temperature. Cover tightly with foil; refrigerate until ready to use, up to 2 days.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Pour 1/2 cup water in bottom of baking dish. Cover with foil; bake 30 minutes. Remove foil; sprinkle with remaining cheese.
- Return to oven; bake, uncovered, until cheese is golden and peppers are very tender, about 30 minutes more. Serve immediately.
nikchap7: Look for cornmeal that is sold as polenta. There are many different brands on the market. I've never had regular American-grind cornmeal cook up the same as the coarser-ground polenta, and this may have been your problem, too.
What a wonderful treat with fresh corn and peppers! It is fantastic as an appetizer with smaller peppers, and with the addition of a little balsamic and brown sugar in the onions. I found that this made a little more than the suggested serving and ended up with some extra, which I mixed with garlic and added to petite toasts for lunch! This recipe is both versatile and easy for late summer or early autumn.
This was rated well by others, so maybe I am the only who experienced an issue, but this one didn't turn out well for me. I've never cooked with cornmeal before, but I remember thinking that 1/2 c. of cornmeal seemed like so little to add to 3 whopping cups of water. Sure enough, even after letting it cook longer than directed, it never really thickened, and I basically filled the peppers with corn soup. It never even thickened in the oven, and didn't turn out edible.