Cast Iron

Polenta CheeseĀ Bites

by:
December  8, 2011
0
0 Ratings
  • Makes 54 squares
Author Notes

These were a big hit at cookouts this summer. They can be made ahead, cut into squares, and reheated on the grill (use a grill pan so they don't fall through!) I adapted the recipe from "Damn Good Food: 137 Recipes from Hell's Kitchen" by adding stone ground corn meal, changing the cheeses and deleting the jalapenos. By all means, add the jalapenos back in and tweak to your taste. It's a versatile one-bite snack that goes well equally with red wine and your favorite IPA. They also freeze well. —rpenovich

Continue After Advertisement
Ingredients
  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup stone-ground corn meal
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 6 large eggs, beaten
  • 2 cups sharp white cheddar cheese, grated
  • 3 cups sharp orange cheddar cheese, grated
  • 4 ounces can of chopped green chiles
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
  • 1 cup whole milk
Directions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly butter a 9 x 13 pyrex pan.
  2. Mix the corn meal, flour, salt, and baking powder in large bowl.
  3. Grate the cheddar cheeses on large holes on a box grater (should have 5 cups.)
  4. Beat the eggs in separate bowl.
  5. Add the milk to the corn meal and flour mixture and stir to blend.
  6. Add the eggs and fold to combine.
  7. Add the green chiles and the cheeses and fold to combine.
  8. Melt the butter and let cool slightly (so it doesn't cook the eggs in the cheesy mixture.) Add slightly cooled butter slowly to cheese mixture and stir to combine.
  9. Pour into prepared pan and spread mixture to all edges so it is even in the pan. Place on middle rack and bake for 30 minutes until cheese is bubbly and brown.
  10. Cool on rack before cutting. Cut into 1x1 inch squares. (You can freeze these at this point. ) Reheat in hot oven before serving. Since it's winter time, I griddled the squares in a lightly greased cast iron skillet to recreate the effect from the grill.

See what other Food52ers are saying.

0 Reviews