Description
Joe and I are longtime polenta lovers, so these cute little bites with our homemade poblano-thyme salsa were just our thing. People raved about these appetizers and even chose them over equally yummy fat-, meat- and flour-laden treats.
This is another one of those recipes we love because they are quick, and can be made up to a week in advance, chilled, then cooked right before the party.
Ingredients
- 3 cups Vegetable Broth (or Water)
- 2 teaspoons Chili Powder
- 1 cup Coarse Cornmeal
- 1 cup Prepared Salsa
Preparation
In a large saucepan, bring the vegetable broth or water to a boil with the chili powder. Stirring constantly, add the polenta. Reduce the heat to a simmer. Simmer for 45 minutes, stirring frequently, until the polenta is creamy and very thick. It should coat a wooden spoon thickly when it is done. Remove pan from heat.
Spoon the polenta into a greased 24-count mini muffin tin. Make sure you press the polenta firmly into the pan so that the bites don’t crumble when you remove them. You know how cornmeal gets. Press your thumb or a spoon into the center of each muffin bite to make a shallow dent.
Chill at least an hour, or up to 1 week.
Preheat oven to 375 F when ready to bake. Set 1 teaspoon of salsa into the dent that you made in the top of each bite. Bake at 375 F for 20-30 minutes, until the polenta is crispy and browned around the edges. Allow to cool slightly before serving.
