Cheesy Polenta with Balsamic Cherry Tomatoes is a comforting dish that’s so creamy and full of flavor. Cheesy Parmesan polenta and blistered cherry tomatoes, drizzled with a balsamic glaze makes this dish absolutely mouthwatering!
Our cherry tomato plants are currently producing dozens of these juicy red little jewels and we really can’t eat them fast enough. Needless to say, they are making there way into most of our meals these days including my Cherry Tomato Frittata and Cherry Tomato Caprese Salad. I am certainly not mad about it!
If you are a fan of flavorful, jammy tomatoes, then you are going to love this dish as much as I do! Add a creamy, Parmesan polenta base and a balsamic glaze and you have a dish that is bursting with flavor and cozy vibes!
I love a dish like this that combines all of the things I love all wrapped into one. Juicy blistered toms, a sweet balsamic glaze, and a creamy component (anyone who knows me knows I love a good creamy dish). It’s perfect anytime of year but we especially love to whip this up to use up all the cherry tomatoes from our garden.
This dish is easy to make and quick too, which is my kinda meal! Quick, easy and delicious. This meal is essentially 2 different components that come together to make something spectacular: the jammy toms and the cheesy polenta.
Ingredients in Cheesy Polenta with Balsamic Cherry Tomatoes
- Cherry tomatoes: About 1 1/2 cups worth of cherry tomatoes.
- Olive oil
- Balsamic glaze: You can use a store-bought glaze or make your own by simmering and reducing about 1 cup of balsamic vinegar until it thickens. Depending on your preference, you can add a little honey or brown sugar to the glaze as well for sweetness.
- Seasoning: salt and pepper
- Chicken broth: I cook the polenta in broth to add delicious flavor to it. To keep it vegetarian, you can opt for a veggie broth instead.
- Polenta: or grits. I use medium ground or a quick cooking polenta.
- Butter: You can use salted or unsalted butter.
- Parmesan cheese: added to the polenta for flavoring.
**Note: Ingredient quantities and full instructions are in the recipe card at the end of this post.**
How to make Cheesy Polenta with Balsamic Cherry Tomatoes
- Prepare the cherry tomatoes. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat and add cherry tomatoes. Stir for a few minutes until they begin to soften. Remove from heat. Season with salt and pepper and add balsamic glaze. Stir to coat evenly.
- Cook the polenta. Bring the chicken broth to a boil and cook the polenta according to the package directions. Depending on the type/brand of polenta you use, you may need to adjust the amount of liquid or cooking instructions so be sure to follow the instructions on your package.
- Season the polenta. Remove the polenta from the heat and stir in the butter, Parmesan cheese and pepper.
- Serve. Spoon polenta into bowls and top with the cherry tomatoes.
Storing and reheating leftovers
Once cooled, leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge. I recommend storing the tomatoes and the polenta separately so that you can reheat them separately.
To reheat the polenta, place it in a saucepan and add a little milk or water to the polenta. Over medium heat, stir the polenta until it is heated through, adding more liquid to reach the desired creamy consistency if needed. Tomatoes can be heated in a skillet (adding a little oil or water to prevent the balsamic glaze from sticking and burning). Alternatively, they can be heated up in the microwave.
I hope you enjoy this meal as much as I do! Bon appetit!
-Cathy
You may also like:
Cheesy Polenta with Chicken and Swiss Chard
Roasted Cherry Tomatoes
Cherry Tomato Frittata
Summer Gnocchi with Corn, Tomatoes & Pesto
Cheesy Polenta with Balsamic Cherry Tomatoes
Ingredients
For the tomatoes:
- 1 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon balsamic glaze
- salt and pepper
For the polenta:
- 3 cups chicken broth *Depending on the type of polenta you use, adjust the amount of liquid you use to follow the instructions on the polenta package.
- 3/4 cup grits or polenta
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese
- pepper
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat and add cherry tomatoes. Stir for a few minutes until they begin to soften. Remove from heat. Season with salt and pepper and add balsamic glaze. Stir to coat evenly.
- Bring the chicken broth to a boil and cook the polenta according to the package directions. Depending on the type/brand of polenta you use, you may need to adjust the amount of liquid or cooking instructions so be sure to follow the instructions on your package.
- Remove the polenta from the heat and stir in the butter, Parmesan cheese and pepper.
- Spoon polenta into bowls and top with the cherry tomatoes.
Note: Metric ingredient measurements are provided as a courtesy using a third-party calculator and are rounded to the nearest unit. The recipes provided on this site have not been tested with metric measurements and their accuracy cannot be verified.
Nutrition
The nutritional information provided is based on third-party calculations and is an estimate only. Accurate nutritional facts will vary based on the particular brands used, portion sizes, measurement accuracy and more.
Pingback: Avocado Tuna Melt - Herbs & Flour