Mexican polenta bowl. A warm dish with creamy polenta that is topped with black beans, pico to Gallo, and avocado. But you could add so much more!
This is a total comfort food dish that is rather healthy. Plus I love that’s that there are so many options. This is something I like to whip up when I don’t have something already planned for dinner, but I don’t want to order out. Super easy because it’s mostly pantry staples which makes it perfect for a quick and satisfying home-cooked meal.
The base is creamy polenta, which if you’re not familiar with is ground cornmeal. For it Italians they call it polenta. But you might also see this called grits. Grits have a slightly different texture but it is basically the same thing. I like to cook the polenta with some vegetable broth for flavor then add a little bit of butter and some shredded cheese to make it extra creamy and tasty. Dried herbs are also great for adding more flavor.
And how to top the creamy polenta? I love to add some seasoned black beans, some sautéed vegetables if I have some, avocado, and a little pico de gallo. This is a very simple way to serve this dish. You could also add a protein if you wanted but I think the black beans are plenty. Or you could also add some sautéed greens. And adding more cheese would never hurt either, right?
When I make creamy polenta, I always like to add make a little extra and have it for breakfast during the week. I love polenta with eggs on top. And with most of my cooking, I like to make extra so it’s less cooking later on. Which is especially nice these days with Covid and cooking so much more at the home.
For this recipe you need:
- Polenta
- Shredded cheese
- Butter (optional or use a butter alternative)
- 1 can of drained and rinsed black beans
- Avocado
- Pico to gallo (you can make this but I just buy store-bought to make it easier)
- Optional – fresh lime and fresh herbs like cilantro
You’re going to cook your polenta on the stovetop and when it’s just about done cooking (which is a rather quick) you’re going to stir through a little butter and a little cheese. While the polenta is cooking, heat up the black beans with some seasoning and some fresh lime is at the end. It’s really that simple.
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Begin by bringint the broth to a boil. Slowly whisk in the polenta and the 1 tsp cumin. Reduce heat to low and continue to stir. Cook for about 10 minutes. Add a little more water if it gets too thick. Stir in the butter and cheese at the end.
- While the polenta is cooking, in between stirring, heat up the beans. Season with 1/2 tsp cumin and the chili powder. Stir in the juice from the lime.
- Plate by dolloping polenta down then topping with beans. Add some pico, avocado, fresh cilantro, and whatever else you want!
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