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Have you ever had a package of corn meal sit in the pantry for months? Well, it's time to dust it off and start cooking.
Corn meal is an incredibly versatile ingredient you can turn into virtually anything. From buttery breads and fritters to creamy polenta and muffins, there are many ways of cooking corn meal.
Below we share some great ideas for cooking with corn meal and producing spectacular recipes you'll want to enjoy again and again.
Polenta: Cooking Corn Meal the Italian Way
Corn meal is a winter staple in Northern Italy, where it is called polenta and used in a variety of dishes.
There's the traditional creamy polenta similar to grits served in the Southern United States. Sometimes the polenta is smoothed out and left to cool before being cut into different shapes.
Try making polenta with caponata, a vegetable-rich dish perfect for vegetarians, or ham and cheese polenta cakes as a fun gluten-free appetizer.
This recipe for cream of corn soup with diced polenta is a great example of a classic American comfort food with an Italian touch.
Another Italian specialty you may want to try is farinata of chickpeas and corn flour with shrimp - a type of shrimp and grits, if you will.
Cooking Corn Meal for Breakfast
We are big fans of cooking corn meal for breakfast, albeit with a bit of a twist on old classics.
Try making these tasty chorizo-cheddar waffles next time the gang comes over for brunch.
Or how about whipping up a batch of yummy sweetcorn cupcakes?
Here is a more sophisticated way of cooking corn meal for breakfast or brunch: try this stunning corn and spring onion tart topped with tomatoes.
Corn Meal Classics: Making Corn Bread
Corn bread is an American classic - the more buttery the better.
However, for those times when you want to kick things up a notch try adding one or two chopped chilies into the mix like we did in this recipe.
Or turn up the volume on any meal by making corn bread with bacon and corn kernels.
Cooking Corn Meal: Fun Desserts
Naturally gluten free, corn meal is a great addition to gluten-free desserts as long as it is blended with other gluten-free flours.
We like this dairy-free and gluten-free take on chocolate chip cookies made with a blend of corn meal and rice flour.
You can also try these delectable gluten-free polenta cakes made with bananas and milk.
Plus: If you are still curious about corn, here are 26 things you didn't know about this vegetable.
