Cheesy Baked Polenta Chips
These cheesy Polenta Chips are a delicious side or snack and will definitely be a crowd pleaser. They can be served as is, covered in grated cheese, or with a perfectly paired dip – like this gorgeous Dairy Free Pesto.
In This Article
Nutritional Benefits
Polenta is a gluten-free grain made from coarsely ground cornmeal. It’s a good source of fibre, a nutrient that which helps to keep you full and support digestive health (1). that keep us energized while helping to regulate blood sugar levels. Additionally, it’s rich in antioxidants, vitamins C, E, K and the B-complex vitamins (2). Polenta is also a good source of magnesium, potassium, and phosphorous (2) that play vital roles in various bodily functions, including bone health, nerve and muscle function, and energy production (3).
Ingredients – What You’ll Need To Make This Recipe
These oven baked polenta chips are a great twist on traditional potato chips. They’re easy to make, delicious to eat, they’re gluten free, and can also be made dairy free. Give them a go and see what you think!
- Polenta / medium or coarse ground cornmeal – A yellow polenta / corn meal is what’s needed. Ensure the grind isn’t too fine so the polenta isn’t mush when cooked.
- Chicken or vegetable stock – Choose a good one! It’s important to like the taste of the stock you’re using, as it will provide one of the base flavours for the chips.
- Butter – An optional extra but it adds to the overall creaminess, which makes for great chips.
- Parmesan cheese – Adding a hint of earthiness and sweetness. Some is mixed into the polenta but extra can be added on top once served. If needed this can be left out or replaced with a vegan/dairy-free shredded cheese.
- Salt and pepper – these should be added to your taste. And if you’ve made my truffle salt recipe, use that instead! Truffle salt, parmesan, and polenta make for the most perfect of matches!
These make a perfect side or snack, and they’re an excellent party food too. They’re especially great served with sauces or dips, like this rocket (arugula) pesto, for your guests to enjoy. For something even simpler, just grate more parmesan over the top.
How To Make Polenta Chips
Stirring the polenta to get it to the right consistency and baking it to create the chips are the two main tasks. While the polenta chips do take some prep work, it’s all quite easy. And absolutely worth the effort.
- Bring stock and salt to boil over a medium-high heat.
- Slowly pour the polenta into the pot and stir until the mixture starts to thicken, about 4-5 minutes.
- Turn heat to low and cook for 25-30 mins until the polenta is very thick. A wooden spoon should stand up in it unaided.
- Quickly stir in the butter and parmesan. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
- Pour the mixture into a greased 20 x 20cm (8 x 8 inch) baking dish and smooth it out evenly.
- Let the mixture cool, then cover and refrigerate overnight so it firms up.
- Next day, preheat oven to 200ºC / 400°F.
- Cut the chilled polenta into chip-sized pieces.
- Put the cut polenta into a bowl and drizzle with a little olive oil and salt. You can also add herbs like dried oregano if you’d like to. If you have any truffle salt, sprinkle with this instead. Delicious!
- Place the polenta fries on a baking sheet lined with baking paper and put the tray in the oven. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the polenta chips are crisp and golden brown.
- Serve with pesto or with your dip of choice.
Don’t rush the initial cooking stage. You want the polenta to cook through completely so it’s not gritty or sticking to the pan.
Substitutions And Variations
If you’re not a parmesan fan, any hard cheese will work well in this recipe. Pecorino or manchego are great replacements in need.
Replace the oregano with any dried herb or herb mix of your choosing. Some others I’ve tried include dried rosemary, thyme, an Italian seasoning and a simple mixed herbs blend.
Tips For Success With This Recipe
If you’re using stock made from stock cubes for this recipe it is likely you will need much less salt. I would starting with ¼ – ½ of the salt suggested, then taste the polenta before pouring it into the dish to set. If it needs more you can add it when you add the butter and parmesan.
The polenta chips are already well salted so when you are prepping them for the oven don’t be tempted to use more than suggested in the recipe. You can always add more salt later if needed but you can’t take it away!
When adding oil to the chips before baking be sure you’re only using a drizzle so the salt and herbs have something to stick too. Too much and the chips may not form enough crisp on the outside. You could also use olive oil spray if preferred.
Storing/Freezing/Make Ahead
Polenta chips are best enjoyed straight from the oven. However, any leftovers polenta can be stored in a paper towel lined airtight container in the fridge. The chips will take on moisture when chilled, so re-heat them to combat this.
To freeze polenta chips – add them to a parchment paper-lined baking tray with plenty of space between. Freeze solid then store in a freezer safe container with parchment paper between layers so the chips don’t stick. NOTE – this step should be done before the chips are baked in the oven. Cook the polenta, cool it in the fridge overnight, slice into chips, then freeze. To cook – defrost in the fridge overnight and continue on with the recipe for baking.
The polenta needs to sit in the fridge overnight so essentially this is a make ahead recipe. It can comfortably sit in the fridge for a couple of days before being baked. If left longer than a day I recommend patting the polenta dry with paper towel before drizzling with olive oil and placing the chips in the oven.
FAQ
While there is definitely a corn flavour to polenta it is a bit of a sponge as an ingredient. It takes on the properties of what it’s cooked in, much like tofu. With that in mind, the final taste will very much depend on what else is added in the recipe. For these polenta chips, we get a nice combination of saltiness from the stock, the sharp and tangy taste of the cheese along with a bit of corn. Delish!
Polenta chips go with so many things! I’ve suggested dairy free pesto, chimichurri sauce, and my mango chilli sauce below. They’re also great with a tomato-based sauce or chutney, some truffle salt, or with a little more parmesan grated over the top.
Look for the cornmeal that is labelled ‘polenta’. If that’s not available, the next best option is either a medium or coarsely ground cornmeal.
Sauce Recipes That Pair With These Chips
If you try this recipe, I’d love to know. Leave a comment, rate it, and remember to tag @wholenaturalkitchen in your pics or reels on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube or TikTok!
Cheesy Baked Polenta Chips
Equipment
- 1 Square Baking Dish
- 1 Baking Tray
- Parchment Paper
Ingredients
- 1 cup polenta (or medium / coarse cornmeal)
- 4 cups chicken or vegetable stock
- 1.5 tsp salt
- ¾ cup parmesan, grated
- 2 Tbsp butter
- 1 – 2 Tbsp olive oil
- Extra salt and pepper for topping
- 2 tsp dried herb like oregano or rosemary for topping
Instructions
- Bring stock and 1.5 tsp salt to boil over a medium-high heat. (See the note on salt below before adding it).
- Slowly pour the polenta into the pot and stir until the mixture starts to thicken, about 4-5 minutes.
- Turn heat to low and cook for 20-30 mins until the polenta is very thick. A wooden spoon should stand up in it unaided.
- Quickly stir in the butter and 3/4 cup parmesan. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
- Grease a 20 x 20cm (8×8 inch) baking dish with a little olive oil. Pour in the cooked polenta, and smooth it out evenly with the back of a spoon.
- Let the mixture cool, then cover and refrigerate overnight so it firms up.
- Next day, preheat oven to 400°F/200ºC.
- Cut the chilled polenta into chip-sized pieces. Mine were ~9cm x 2cm (3.5 inches x 0.75 inches).
- Combine ½ tsp salt with 1 – 1.5 tsp dried herb (like oregano) in a small bowl and mix well.
- Put the cut polenta into a large bowl and drizzle with just a little olive oil (see note on oil below) then the herb/salt mix. If you have any truffle salt, sprinkle with this instead. Delicious!
- Place the chips on a baking tray lined with baking paper, put in the oven, and bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the polenta chips are crispy and golden brown.
- Serve immediately with pesto or your dip of choice.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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Gabby Campbell
Gabby is a degree qualified Naturopath/Nutritionist (BHSc Nat) with a love of all whole foods. She started her Naturopathic career in clinical practice before making the move to recipe development and online education – a result of wanting to combat the misinformation that abounds on the internet about food and health. Whole Natural Kitchen aims to transform the way you think about healthy eating by helping you embrace an abundance of nutritious foods while leaving the health fads behind. MORE ABOUT GABBY