15-30 min4-6 servingsbutter

Cheesy Herbed Polenta

By Pamela Ellgen

4-6 Servings

15-30 min

Medium

Recipe Details

Difficulty: Medium

Prep Time: 5 min

Cook Time: 10 min

Total Time: 15-30 min

Cooking Technique: Pressure Cook

Cuisine: Italian

Diet: Gluten Free

Yield: 4-6 Servings

Ingredients

2 cups polenta
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 tablespoon dried Italian herb blend
1/4 cup dried Parmesan cheese
8 cups chicken broth
2 tablespoons butter

Polenta is often considered a labor-intensive dish that requires constant attention to continue stirring throughout the 30-minute stovetop cooking time. However, I recently began using a different technique to cook polenta, covering it and letting it cook unattended, save a few occasional stirs. It turned out so well, I knew the grain would be perfect in the Instant Pot, where it takes even less effort. It’s a delicious accompaniment to a whole roasted chicken and blanched vegetables. Jar Size 2 1/2 cups

INSTRUCTIONS

Preparation: Layer the dry ingredients in the jar in the order listed.
To Cook: Place all of the jarred ingredients into the Instant Pot. Add 8 cups of chicken broth or water. Stir to mix. Cover with the lid and ensure the vent is in the “Sealed” position. Pressure Cook or Manualon High for 10 minutes. Manually release the steam pressure. Remove the lid and stir thoroughly. Cover with the lid once again and place the vent into the “Sealed” position. Pressure Cook on high for another 5 minutes. Allow the pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes, then release any remaining pressure manually. Stir in the butter, if using.

Notes

Ingredient Tip: To make this dish vegetarian, substitute the chicken broth with water.

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About the chef

Pamela Ellgen

Food writer and cookbook author Pamela Ellgen has written twenty-eight cookbooks, including her latest, The I Love Trader Joe’s Snack Boards Cookbook, to be published by Ulysses Press in December 2023. Other books include The Gluten Free Cookbook for Families: Healthy Recipes in 30 Minutes or Less and bestselling The 5-Ingredient College Cookbook: Easy, Healthy Recipes for the Next Four Years & Beyond. She has also done collaborations with Instant Pot, Beyond Celiac, and Settlers of Catan. Her work has been featured in USA Today, HuffPost, TODAY, Healthline, Outside Magazine, Scary Mommy, and The Pioneer Woman. She has worked as a private chef and taught farm-to-table cooking classes in public schools. Born and raised in the Pacific Northwest, Pamela now lives in sunny Oceanside, California with her fiance and their three boys. She loves surfing, pasta, and wine.

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