Polenta Croutons with Parmesan

Croutons are not something I normally use. My soups and salads tend to be substantial and flavorful enough without them. I've also found that store-bought varieties are about as appetizing as the crumbs lingering on the bottom of my toaster oven. Recently however, a co-worker passed on a recipe for a brothy tomato soup with Parmesan croutons and chive oil that sounded just perfect. In preparation, I deviated from the original recipe and made these polenta croutons with Parmesan cheese. They turned out so well, I found myself enjoying them as a snack.

I sprinkled the Parmesan over the cooked polenta, but in hindsight, I would increase the amount of cheese and stir some into the pot before transferring it to the pan to cool.

Polenta Parmesan Croutons

Recipe by Lisa Turner Published on May 11, 2008 Dense and delicious polenta croutons baked with Parmesan cheese — these are great for salads and also hold their shape in soups — they're also terrific as a snack by themselves Preparation: 5 minutes Cooking time: 40 minutes Print this recipe Ingredients: 3 cups water 1 1/2 cups yellow cornmeal 1 teaspoon cayenne 1 teaspoon sea salt 2 teaspoons olive oil fresh cracked black pepper to taste 1/4 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese Instructions: Bring the water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Reduce the heat to medium-low, and pour in the cornmeal, stirring constantly. Simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring often, until the mixture is thickened. Remove from heat, and stir in the cayenne, salt, olive oil and black pepper. Grease an 8 × 8 baking pan. Transfer the polenta into the pan and spread evenly with a spatula or knife. Sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese. Leave to cool. Preheat an oven to 450°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Cut the polenta into small cubes and gently transfer the cubes to the baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes or until the croutons are crisp and golden, flipping occasionally with a pair of tongs so that each side of the cubes browns evenly. Makes about 3 dozen croutons