Cheezy Baked Polenta Fries

Healthy, delicious food drives the mind and body. Caregiverlist promotes nutritious and tasty meals for caregivers and seniors. Caregivers need to eat right to keep their body energized and their mind sharp to get through the day. Seniors also require wholesome food to get all the right nutrients to take care of their body.

Try this alternative to French Fries for your next barbecue. Instead of using starchy potatoes and oil, this recipe features a corn base without any oil for a healthier side and the fries come out extra crispy. Perfect paired with a turkey or salmon burger on a sunny afternoon. 

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Ingredients

• 3 cups water
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 cups uncooked instant polenta (bramata)
• 1/2 cup nutritional yeast
• 1/4 cup butter spread, such as Earth Balance
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp cracked black pepper

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Directions

Bring water and the 1 tsp salt to a boil in a large pot. Once boiling, reduce heat to low and pour in polenta, stirring to combine. Continue to 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 from the heat and stir in the nutritional yeast, buttery spread, salt, and pepper. Stir until the butter has completely melted and the mixture is smooth. Pour onto a large, greased baking sheet or two smaller baking sheets, and spread with a rubber spatula to about a 1/2 inch thickness. Let sit 30-50 minutes, until polenta becomes solid and is no longer hot. While waiting, preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Once polenta has cooled, gently move it from the pan to a cutting board (best done in sections). Alternatively, you can leave the mixture on the baking sheet and use a pizza cutter to cut. Otherwise, use a large knife to cut the slab in half, and then into 1/4 – 1/-2 inch strips. Transfer the cut fries to a greased baking sheet (coconut oil is a great option for high heat), and bake for 45-50 minutes, flipping once, until polenta fries are crispy and golden. Remove from the oven and serve with ketchup, sriracha, or ranch. Enjoy!