How to Make Creamy Polenta from a Tube

Can’t find dry cornmeal at the store? This delicious creamy side dish can be made using polenta from a tube. This creamy homemade parmesan polenta is healthy, vegetarian and gluten-free—and it’s also super simple to make!

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Polenta can be really flavourful and versatile when you know how to prepare it. It is really easy to make, and makes a lovely gluten-free accompaniment to wide variety of dishes.

Fried polenta adds a good crunch to your meal, but if you really want to make it shine, creamy polenta is the way to go. And while a lot of people probably prepare it with dried cornmeal, it may not always be available at the store.

Thankfully, it turns out that tubed polenta can also be turned into a creamy, cheesy side dish to accompany your dinner!

Where Can I Buy Tubed Polenta?

This may be different elsewhere, but I’ve found that in my part of Canada, tubed polenta is often easier to find than dry cornmeal. It’s available in pretty much every grocery store, and they even sell one-kilo logs of it at Walmart.

If you live in the United States, you can try Walmart too, or you can get it from Trader Joe’s. Both usually carry 18-ounce tubes of pre-cooked polenta, which would work perfectly for the purposes of this recipe.

How to Make Creamy Polenta from a Tube

Required Ingredients

Here’s what you’ll need to turn a log of polenta into a delicious side dish of creamy parmesan polenta:

• Tubed polenta
• Vegetable broth (you can also use water, but the dish won’t be as flavourful)
• Milk
• Parmesan
• Salt
• Ground black pepper

Recommended Equipment

Whenever I make this dish, I like to use my immersion blender to break up the polenta more easily and make it extra creamy.

That being said, if ever you don’t have an immersion blender, you can also break up the polenta using a potato masher, a metal whisk or the back of a regular wooden mixing spoon.

Note About Saucepan Size

For best results, make sure to use the SMALLEST saucepan you own when making this dish. I have tested this recipe multiple times using different saucepans, and it turns out that the size of the saucepan has a big impact on the consistency of the finished dish.

Using a smaller saucepan means that the cubes of polenta are better covered by the broth, which helps the polenta break down more easily and reduces the cooking time for this dish. It also prevents the liquid from evaporating too quickly.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Cut Polenta

Start by cutting open a 500-gram roll of polenta with scissors and using a knife to cut the polenta into small cubes.

2. Cover with Broth

When you’re done cutting the polenta tube, place all the cubes in a small saucepan (see the note above regarding its size) and cover them with 1 cup of vegetable broth. The cubes won’t be completely covered, but as long as the saucepan you’re using is small enough, they should still be able to cook properly.

I like to use powdered broth because it allows me to control the amount of flavour and salt, but you don’t have to. If you do decide to use powdered broth, I recommend boiling the water and adding the powder to it before you pour the broth onto the polenta cubes.

Note: You can also use water, but you’ll probably have to add more salt or if you don’t want your dish to come out very bland.

3. Soften Polenta

Turn on the element and cook on medium heat, stirring frequently, until the polenta cubes have softened and broken down. This should take no more than 15 minutes, but can vary depending on the strength of your cooking element.

4. Add Milk

Add ½ cup of milk and stir until combined.

5. Cream Polenta

If you’ve decided to use an immersion blender (which I highly recommend), now is the time to use it. Submerge it in the polenta and run it until the mixture is thick and creamy and all the lumps have disappeared.

You can also do this by hand if you don’t have an immersion blender. However, it will take a little longer because it will require you to crush the soft polenta cubes using a potato masher, a metal whisk or the back of a wooden spoon.

I’ve done it both ways and I much prefer the immersion blender method, but since not everyone has one at home, it’s good to know there’s an alternative.

6. Add Parmesan

Add ½ cup of parmesan and stir until combined. Let simmer for one or two minutes before moving on to the next step.

7. Season Polenta

Turn off the heat and add salt and pepper to the polenta in order to season it. I added ½ teaspoon of salt, but the amount you need will depend on how salty your broth and parmesan are.

You can also add a bit more milk if you feel that your polenta is too thick and you’d like it to be creamier.

Once your polenta is properly seasoned, it’s time to eat! Pour some polenta into a bowl with some parmesan sprinkled on top and serve it as a side dish.

Personally, I love to mix sautéed vegetables into the polenta for added flavour. I’ve found that mushrooms, onions and asparagus work particularly well.

That being said, this cheesy parmesan polenta is definitely flavourful enough to eat on its own!

Related Side Dish Recipes

Looking for more delicious recipes to serve with your main course? Check out these articles:

• 5-Minute Arugula Salad
• Quick & Easy Caprese Salad

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