Roasted Garlic and Thyme Polenta

Polenta, from home? It’s TRUE! Stop believing that certain delicious dishes found on a fine dinning menu are items that are too difficult to make from home. In truth, polenta is simple and JUST as amazing from the comfort and safety of your kitchen. Thank you to Jackie for showing us the way – YET again!

Ingredients:

• 1 head of garlic + olive oil
• 1 cup of cornmeal
• 4 cups of water- can sub chicken broth
• 2-3 heaping tbsp of unsalted butter- can sub a butter spread
• 1 tbsp fresh thyme (more, if preferred)
• 1/2 cup freshly shredded parmesan cheese (optional)
• Kosher salt + freshly cracked pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
2. Cut the tip of the garlic head off. Place the garlic in some foil and drizzle a little olive oil over it. Wrap the foil so the garlic is fully covered
3. Roast the garlic for 40 minutes, remove from the oven and allow to cool
4. Once the garlic is cool enough to handle, squeeze the garlic cloves into a small bowl and mash them with a fork; set aside
5. Meanwhile bring 4 cups of water and a heavy pinch of salt to a boil. Once at a boil, slowly whisk in 1 cup of polenta. Note: doing this slowly and whisking while you add will help eliminate clumps. No one likes clumpy polenta. Lower to a simmer
6. Stir often for 15 minutes until the mixture is thick. Take the polenta off of the heat
7. Add in thyme, butter, another heavy pinch of salt + cracked pepper, and parmesan cheese (if using)
8. Stir and check for seasoning and add more thyme, salt, and pepper if you’d like. Serve immediately. *Tip: If waiting to serve, you may need to add a little bit of water or milk to loosen the polenta up as it sometimes can become stiff while cooling