Real Recipes From Real Home Cooks ®

polenta with tomato, bacon and cheese

Recipe by
Irisa Raina 9
New Iberia, LA

I wish I had a great story to go along with this dish, but sadly I don’t. This is just one of those recipes that I created “thinking hmmm” what can I do to make Polenta a wee bit jazzier? I think the addition of the cheese and bacon did the trick. If you can’t find apple wood smoked bacon in your area you can use regular bacon.

yield 4 or 5
method Pan Fry

Ingredients For polenta with tomato, bacon and cheese

  • 1 – 18 ounce roll of polenta
  • 6 slices thick cut apple wood smoked bacon
  • 1 – 14.5 ounce can f ire roasted diced tomatoes “drained and set the juice aside” you’ll want to push down softly on the tomatoes to get all the juice out of them while they are straining
  • fresh grated asiago cheese “ about a cup or so “
  • 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • ½ to 3/4 teaspoon turbinado sugar
  • 2 & ½ cloves roasted garlic “smashed “
  • unsalted butter for frying the polenta “about 2 tablespoons “

How To Make polenta with tomato, bacon and cheese

  • 1
    DIRECTIONS:
  • 2
    Cut the bacon into small bite size pieces fry till crisp then drain and set aside.
  • 3
    Smash the garlic and mix with the cayenne pepper to make sure it is mixed thoroughly.
  • 4
    Once the bacon is done frying and you have removed it, in the same pan keeping about 1 teaspoon of the bacon grease, add the garlic & cayenne pepper mixture, cook for about 2 minutes.
  • 5
    Then add the tomato juice from the can & sugar. Cook this for about 5 minutes on a low flame.
  • 6
    Then add the tomatoes from the can, cook for about 10 minutes on low, you’ll want all the juice pretty much absorbed.
  • 7
    When this is done keep warm, or put it in the refrigerator till you are ready to serve the Polenta. Warm it up before you assemble the dish.
  • 8
    Slice the Polenta into ¼ inch slices and fry in the butter. When the one side is all golden and browned, turn them over.
  • 9
    Cover with fresh grated Asiago cheese, continue frying till the other side is browned and the cheese is melted, add more butter if necessary.
  • 10
    PLATING:
  • 11
    Put the tomatoes on a serving dish spreading them around. Place the Polenta on top. Garnish it with the bacon.
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