Best Polenta Pancetta Stuffing Recipes

POLENTA AND SAUSAGE STUFFING

Steps:

• Butter a shallow baking pan (15 by 10 inches). Bring 6 cups water with salt to a boil in a 4-quart heavy pot, then add polenta in a stream, stirring with a long-handled spoon, and simmer, stirring constantly, 5 minutes (polenta will be very thick). Add 3 tablespoons butter and stir until butter is incorporated. Spread polenta in buttered pan and chill, uncovered, until firm, about 15 minutes.
• While polenta is chilling, cook sausage in 1 tablespoon oil in a 10-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat, breaking up lumps, until no longer pink, about 3 minutes, then transfer with a slotted spoon to a large bowl. Add onion to skillet and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until browned, about 3 minutes; add garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add remaining 1/2 cup water and stir up brown bits from bottom of skillet, then add onion mixture and chicken broth to sausage.
• Preheat broiler. Melt 1 tablespoon butter with remaining tablespoon oil in a small saucepan. Invert polenta onto a large cutting board, then cut half of it into 1/2-inch cubes (reserve remainder) and toss with butter mixture in a medium bowl. Return polenta cubes to baking pan, spreading evenly, and broil 3 to 4 inches from heat until golden brown in patches, 8 to 12 minutes.
• Put oven rack in upper third of oven and preheat oven to 450°F Butter a 13- by 9-inch baking dish (3-quart capacity).
• Coarsely mash remaining polenta with a potato masher and add to sausage mixture. Add broiled polenta cubes, 1/2 cup cheese, parsley, and pepper to taste, and toss until combined well. Transfer to baking dish. Sprinkle top of stuffing with remaining 1/2 cup cheese and bake, covered tightly with a sheet of buttered foil (buttered side down), until heated through, about 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake until top is lightly browned, 10 to 15 minutes more.
• Cooks' note:.
• Stuffing, without parsley and cheese, can be prepared (but not baked) 1 day ahead and chilled, covered. Bring to room temperature; stir in parsley before proceeding.

POLENTA WITH PEAS AND PANCETTA

Steps:

• Heat the oil in sauce pot over medium-high heat. Add pancetta and cook until crisp, 5 minutes then remove to a plate. Add the liquids to the sauce pot and bring to boil. Whisk polenta into the liquid and continue to whisk 2 to 3 minutes to thicken. Season with salt and pepper and stir in peas to heat through 1 minute more. Remove from heat, stir in cheese and adjust seasoning. Garnish with pancetta.

PANCETTA AND CHESTNUT STUFFING

Steps:

• Heat chicken stock in a small pot to a low simmer, then set aside over low heat.
• Add pancetta to a large low-sided pot or rondeau over medium heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until pancetta is crisp, about 5 minutes. Remove pancetta from the pot and drain the fat, reserving 1 tablespoon of the fat. Add olive oil and heat to shimmering. Add the mushrooms and sear on all sides until golden brown and crisp, 8 to 10 minutes. Season with salt. Add 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar to deglaze the pot. Remove mushrooms from pot and set aside. Add a drizzle of olive oil to the same pot on high heat, then the celery, onions, carrot and chestnuts. Cook until they begin to brown, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and the tomato paste and cook until richly caramelized but not burnt, another 5 to 7 minutes. Add the red pepper flakes and cook for 1 minute, then deglaze with 2 cups of the chicken stock and add the reserved mushrooms. Cook until reduced by three-quarters, about 10 minutes. Season with thyme, salt, pepper and the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons red wine vinegar and turn off the heat. Add 2 more cups of the hot chicken stock to the pot along with the bread, pancetta and the reserved pancetta fat.
• Let stand for 45 minutes, allowing the bread to absorb all of the flavor.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• If the stuffing seems dry, add the remaining cup chicken stock. Add the egg and fold to combine. Transfer to a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Top with Parmesan and bake until a nice crust forms on top, about 25 minutes. Garnish with chives.

CHESTNUT, PRUNE & PANCETTA STUFFING

Steps:

• Put oven rack in upper third of oven and preheat oven to 400°F
• Scatter bread in a single layer in 2 large shallow baking pans (17 by 12 inches) and toast, stirring once or twice and switching position of pans halfway through baking, until golden and dry, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a very large bowl.
• Cook pancetta in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until browned, 12 to 15 minutes.
• Add butter and heat until melted, then add celery and onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 12 minutes.
• Stir in sage, salt, and pepper and cook 1 minute.
• Add pancetta mixture along with chestnuts and prunes to bowl containing bread.
• Whisk together stock and eggs, then stir into bread mixture until combined well.
• Transfer to 4 quart wide baking dish (stuffing will mound above dish).
• Bake, loosely covered with a buttered sheet of foil (buttered side down) 30 minutes, then remove foil and bake until top is browned, 10 to 15 minutes more.
• Cooks' notes:.
• • Stuffing, without stock-and-egg mixture, can be assembled (but not baked) 1 day ahead and chilled, covered. Stir in stock mixture, then proceed with recipe.
• • Stuffing can be baked 6 hours ahead and cooled completely, uncovered, then chilled, loosely covered. Reheat, covered, in a preheated 400°F oven until hot, about 30 minutes.

CHESTNUT POLENTA

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Slowly add the flour into the pot in a steady stream until level with the water. With a spoon, create a well in the center. Allow to cook for approximately 10 minutes and then stir for an additional 5 minutes until you have a creamy polenta-like texture.
• The polenta will thicken and bubble resembling a porridge-like consistency. If there are any lumps break them up and continue to stir until creamy.
• Serve the polenta with grilled sausages or creamy ricotta cheese.

POLENTA AND SAUSAGE STUFFING

Steps:

• Butter a shallow baking pan (15 by 10 inches). Bring 6 cups water with salt to a boil in a 4-quart heavy pot, then add polenta in a stream, stirring with a long-handled spoon, and simmer, stirring constantly, 5 minutes (polenta will be very thick). Add 3 tablespoons butter and stir until butter is incorporated. Spread polenta in buttered pan and chill, uncovered, until firm, about 15 minutes.
• While polenta is chilling, cook sausage in 1 tablespoon oil in a 10-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat, breaking up lumps, until no longer pink, about 3 minutes, then transfer with a slotted spoon to a large bowl. Add onion to skillet and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until browned, about 3 minutes; add garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add remaining 1/2 cup water and stir up brown bits from bottom of skillet, then add onion mixture and chicken broth to sausage.
• Preheat broiler. Melt 1 tablespoon butter with remaining tablespoon oil in a small saucepan. Invert polenta onto a large cutting board, then cut half of it into 1/2-inch cubes (reserve remainder) and toss with butter mixture in a medium bowl. Return polenta cubes to baking pan, spreading evenly, and broil 3 to 4 inches from heat until golden brown in patches, 8 to 12 minutes.
• Put oven rack in upper third of oven and preheat oven to 450°F. Butter a 13- by 9-inch baking dish (3-quart capacity).
• Coarsely mash remaining polenta with a potato masher and add to sausage mixture. Add broiled polenta cubes, 1/2 cup cheese, parsley, and pepper to taste, and toss until combined well. Transfer to baking dish. Sprinkle top of stuffing with remaining 1/2 cup cheese and bake, covered tightly with a sheet of buttered foil (buttered side down), until heated through, about 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake until top is lightly browned, 10 to 15 minutes more.

CIABATTA STUFFING WITH CHESTNUTS AND PANCETTA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Butter a 15 by 10 by 2-inch glass baking dish. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add the pancetta and saute until crisp and golden, about 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the pancetta to a large bowl. Melt the remaining butter in the same skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions, carrots, celery, rosemary, and garlic. Saute until the onions are very tender, about 12 minutes. Gently stir in the chestnuts and parsley. Transfer the onion mixture to the large bowl with the pancetta. Add the bread and Parmesan and toss to coat. Add enough broth to the stuffing mixture to moisten. Season the stuffing, to taste, with salt and pepper. Mix in the eggs.
• Transfer the stuffing to the prepared dish. Cover with buttered foil, buttered side down, and bake until the stuffing is heated through, about 30 minutes. Uncover and continue baking until the top is crisp and golden, about 15 minutes longer.