How to replace polenta in Mexican Polenta Casserole recipe

The recipe asks for one 16 oz. package of precooked polenta, but I only have yellow corn grits (uncooked, from Bob's Red Mill - also labeled as polenta). How much do I cook for it to be equivalent?

substitutions

Best Answer

Corn grits are not the best possible substitute for polenta:

Polenta is the Italian name for corn meal
Instant polenta is basically polenta that has been cooked, then dried and ground; it is precooked, and and pre-gelatinized, and so does not require long cooking
Precooked polenta is available, in a tube or tub, which is literally a prepared, cooked polenta.
Grits are a ground corn product, where the corn has been treated with lye (it is made from hominy)

A better substitute for uncooked polenta would be plain corn meal (1:1); for precooked polenta would be cornmeal that has been cooked into a thick porridge (1:1).

If you do substitute hominy type grits for plain polenta, your result will be somewhat different, but you can try 1:1, by volume or weight, either way.

Update: evidently some processors label their product "Grits" as well as "Traditional Italian Polenta". While I cannot endorese misusing the word grits, in this case, then, they are the same product so it isn't really a substitution, and 1:1 is the proper use.

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What can replace polenta in a recipe?

Best Substitutes For Polenta.

Oatmeal.

Mashed Potatoes.

Sweet Mashed Potatoes.

Cream of Wheat.

Couscous.

Rice Porridge.

Grits.

What is polenta made of?

Polenta is basically cornmeal mush, and it can be made with any kind of cornmeal, ground coarse, medium or fine. (You don't need bags marked \u201cpolenta.\u201d) As with most ingredients, though, the better the cornmeal you start with, the better your result in the kitchen.

How do you keep polenta from being grainy?

Be vigilant, and keep adding liquid and stirring until polenta is cooked through, tasting along the way. If your polenta is too gritty and forces you to chew on pebbly grains, add water and keep it going.

Perfect Polenta - How to Make Soft Polenta

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