Snow-day Polenta

Mid-blizzard, Daniele and I felt as if the wind was blowing straight through our apartment. We spent most of the time wrapped up in blankets and standing near the heaters in our apartment. So, when it came time to cook we knew we needed to eat something warm.

Polenta is perfect for the winter season, so I suggest you pick up some instant polenta from your nearest grocery and make some today. Follow the instructions on the package and serve with your favorite pasta topping.

We made enough for leftovers, so the first time we had polenta during the blizzard we served it with a sauce that included sausage, sauteed spinach, and tomato sauce. You can easily make this sauce at home. For our leftovers, we topped the polenta with grated american cheese, the rest of the sauce mixture, and some mushrooms and then baked it for about 20 minutes. For a side, we also roasted some tomatoes by slicing cherry tomatoes in half, adding a bit of olive oil, basil, salt, and oregano, and cooking in the oven alongside the polenta. This made us two versions of a similar warm, healthy, and hearty meal.