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Cheezy Baked Polenta Fries

3/13/2014

16 Comments

 

Cheezy Baked Polenta Fries

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Crispy, crunchy, POTATO-FREE? Yep, you betcha. And just as full of flavor as the original, but crunchier! And crunchy fries are my favorite. Polenta, a simple grain-based dish that cooks up a little like steel but oats (but way creamier), is a great replacement here. The flavor is a little corn-y, the crunch is unbeatable, and the cheezy flavor takes the whole dish up a notch. Plus, polenta fills you up and is a seriously cheap kitchen staple that is great to keep on hand. 
But back to the fries: YUM. Alex loved them and ate them all day long until they were gone, even cold and -in my opinion- a little less enjoyable after hours on the counter. The dough can easily be made ahead and refrigerated overnight, so you can make the dough tonight and enjoy it for dinner tomorrow night- just set the timer and walk away! And who doesn't love a meal like that?
One last note: I have never actually used pre-made polenta that comes in a sausage-like roll from the grocery store. That being said, if thats what you have on hand, skip straight to the step where you mix in the spices and butter, and continue with the recipe. Let's eat!
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Ingredients:
3 cups water
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups uncooked instant polenta (bramata)
1/2 cup nutritional yeast
1/4 cup vegan butter
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper
coconut oil, for greasing pan

Directions:
Bring water and 1 teaspoon of salt to a boil in a large pot. Once boiling, reduce heat and pour in polenta, stirring to combine. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens and begins to pull away from the sides of the pot, about 5 minutes.
Remove the pot from heat and stir in the nutritional yeast, butter, salt & pepper. Stir well, until the butter has completely melted and the mixture is smooth.
Pour mixture onto a smooth surface like a large baking sheet (or two smaller ones), and spread using a rubber spatula to about a 1/2 inch thickness. Let cool on the counter at least 30 minutes, until polenta becomes solid and cools off completely. While waiting, preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Once your polenta slab has cooled, gently move it from the pan to a cutting board (best done in sections) to be cut. You can leave the mixture on the baking sheet and use a pizza cutter, if that floats your boat. Otherwise, use a large knife to cut the slab in half, and then into 1/4 - 1/-2 inch strips, until all the polenta has been cut. Transfer fries to a greased (coconut oil works great in the high heat!) baking sheet, and bake for 45-50 minutes, flipping once, until fries are crispy and golden. 
Remove from oven, serve with ketchup, sriracha mayo, or vegan ranch. Enjoy!

*Dough can be made ahead, wrapped in plastic, and refrigerated overnight or until ready to bake.
**Don't have coconut oil? That's okay, but try to use a high heat oil (sesame, grapeseed, avocado) to avoid burning!
***Fries can be REHEATED in the oven at 400 degrees for about 10 minutes. Overcooking them will result in uber- crunchy fries, so be careful. Cooking them just right, however, results in more deliciousness.
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16 Comments
Emma link
3/13/2014 07:20:00 am

These really do look wonderful! I agree that fries have to be crunchy, and although I love potato fries it's nice to ring the changes every now and again. My pesto polenta triangles are a favourite side dish :)

Reply
Mallory @ Because I Like Chocolate link
3/15/2014 06:25:15 am

I will take these over normal fries any day!

Reply
Q link
3/22/2014 04:28:14 am

Holy catsocks! What a way to knock out half a cup of nooch. I am a huge fan of these now. I made them to cut down on my polenta stash (my bro bought me a case of Bob's Red Mill Polenta/Grits for my b-day) and I shall make these again! The crispy outside, the creamy centre, the cheezy vegan catnip aspect--perfecto! Exclamation point exclamation point!

Reply
Leslie Byrne link
3/26/2014 10:06:51 am

reminds me of this great restaurant in SHow Low, AZ that had fries just like these - they called them Cornados... something like that.
YUM!

Reply
Angie
3/27/2014 05:19:23 am

Really delicious recipe! Healthier than fries and tastier

Reply
Marty
5/13/2014 08:16:47 am

I made these today. I messed them up somehow. They were delicious and we ate every morsel, but they fell apart into crumbs. I think I spread them too thin and cut them too narrowly. Will try again.

Reply
meg
5/28/2014 07:16:52 am

You mention that the dough can be made ahead & kept in the fridge - do you think it could be frozen? I'd love to make a batch & eat half & save half. Thanks so much!

Reply
Amber St. Peter
5/28/2014 07:22:03 am

I've never tried it but have read it can maintain good flavor & freshness in the freezer for up to 3 months! Just be sure to allow it to thaw completely before re-using. Enjoy!

Reply
Candida Ferraiolo link
5/29/2014 05:22:45 am

I would LOVE to make these tonight. Do you think regular polenta aka not instant will work? Just adjust the water ratios?

Reply
Amber link
5/29/2014 05:50:29 am

Hi! Yeah, we just used regular polenta. I say INSTANT because its so quick and IS different than pre-packaged polenta, but this is the definition of 'bromata': 'The classic rustic stone-milled corn flour which is moderatly coarse.'

Hope that helps! My OTHER best advice? Follow package directions. You're polenta will be the same as normal, just spread on a cookie sheet and baked afterwards. I'll make the instructions clearer up there, though :)

Reply
Kim
6/21/2014 01:09:22 pm

Mmm, just waiting for polenta to cool down, and then I will bake them. I am new to nutritional yeast, so I cannot wait to try these. I am serving with home made tomato relish and a bowl of home made chicken soup. Delish. Thank you very much!

Reply
lola
8/26/2014 05:52:34 am

It made me giggle to read the description...polenta IS corn silly.

Reply
Amber St. Peter
8/26/2014 06:12:14 am

We know that! 😛 we were using that as a description of the flavor for those who've never had it.

Reply
Katherine
9/8/2014 06:41:03 am

Yummy!! Made these yesterday. Stuck a few in my lunch today, almost as good cold!! STORAGE: I have several left over in a bag in the fridge. How long will they keep in the fridge and/or should I freeze what I have left over and just thaw them as I want them?? Thanks.

Reply
gemma
3/30/2015 05:28:57 pm

This is Chocolate covered katies recipe...

Reply
Amber St. Peter
3/30/2015 05:57:58 pm

Nope, it is not. Katie very generously featured this recipe last year on her site, thanks tho!

Reply



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