# What to do with a tube of polenta? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 19, 2017, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-a-tube-of-polenta/796761 "2017-09-19T20:55:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Enola\_Gay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/3ab097/32.png) [@Enola\_Gay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enola_Gay)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2017, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-a-tube-of-polenta/796761/1 "2017-09-19T20:55:06Z")
I was at Trader Joe’s and saw polenta in a tube & bought it. Now I don’t know what I should do with it. Any ideas? ---
**Author:** ![Finagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@Finagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Finagle)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2017, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-a-tube-of-polenta/796761/2 "2017-09-19T20:57:31Z")
Treat it like the world’s hardest jigsaw puzzle and try to reassemble the individual kernels of corn? ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2017, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-a-tube-of-polenta/796761/3 "2017-09-19T20:59:45Z")
Chill it, slice it, fry it, cover it in cheese and serve with your main. Delicious! ---
**Author:** ![SmellMyWort](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea5d25/32.png) [@SmellMyWort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmellMyWort)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2017, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-a-tube-of-polenta/796761/4 "2017-09-19T21:14:21Z")
Slice, brush with olive oil, and grill. I usually serve it this way with some Italian sausages and some spaghetti sauce. Not a lot of sauce. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2017, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-a-tube-of-polenta/796761/5 "2017-09-19T21:20:08Z")
Throw it out. ---
**Author:** ![Sicks\_Ate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Sicks\_Ate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sicks_Ate)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2017, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-a-tube-of-polenta/796761/6 "2017-09-19T21:27:34Z")
I can’t do polenta. Smells like feedlot. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2017, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-a-tube-of-polenta/796761/7 "2017-09-19T22:40:38Z")
I slice it very thin, fry it in butter (for at least 10 minutes, til the edges are crispy), and serve with maple syrup. When I was a kid, my mother made this, but it was called “fried cornmeal mush.” She’d press the cooked cereal into a loaf pan then chill, slice when it was solid, fry, and serve as described. I can’t think of this dish as savory, although I know it’s commonly served with cheese and tomato sauce. ---
**Author:** ![brainstall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/35a633/32.png) [@brainstall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brainstall)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2017, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-a-tube-of-polenta/796761/8 "2017-09-19T22:48:05Z")
Polenta, heated (fry pan or microwave), a smear of Portuguese pepper paste (hot or sweet as your taste prefers), and a slice of mozzarella cheese melted on top makes a pretty tasty snack. ---
**Author:** ![Ulfreida](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ulfreida/32/8014_2.png) [@Ulfreida](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ulfreida)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2017, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-a-tube-of-polenta/796761/9 "2017-09-19T22:48:31Z")
> [@Sicks\_Ate](#): > > I can’t do polenta. Smells like feedlot. Have you smelled a feedlot recently? Feedlots smell like the concentrated waste of ten thousand cows. Polenta smells like corn. A different, perhaps objectionable, but different, smell. ---
**Author:** ![Ulfreida](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ulfreida/32/8014_2.png) [@Ulfreida](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ulfreida)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2017, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-a-tube-of-polenta/796761/10 "2017-09-19T22:50:14Z")
I just had polenta for lunch (which I made from scratch, one of the easiest possible things to make from scratch). I topped it with some leftover refried beans, cheddar cheese, and fresh tomatoes. It was dang good. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2017, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-a-tube-of-polenta/796761/11 "2017-09-19T23:09:01Z")
> [@SmellMyWort](#): > > Slice, brush with olive oil, and grill. I usually serve it this way with some Italian sausages and some spaghetti sauce. Not a lot of sauce. This is the way I usually serve it. Any leftover slices (not likely!) get refried a bit and served with bacon and eggs for breakfast. ---
**Author:** ![Southern\_Yankee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/southern_yankee/32/2800_2.png) [@Southern\_Yankee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Southern_Yankee)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2017, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-a-tube-of-polenta/796761/12 "2017-09-19T23:13:37Z")
I have a great recipe for braised short ribs. I usually serve it over cheese grits, but I have done it over sliced, fried polenta cakes and it was also awesome. ---
**Author:** ![Aspenglow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspenglow/32/76_2.png) [@Aspenglow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspenglow)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2017, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-a-tube-of-polenta/796761/13 "2017-09-19T23:18:12Z")
I make my own polenta with sage and Parmesan cheese, then slice and fry, top with poached eggs. A favorite savory breakfast treat. I don’t see any reason you couldn’t use a tube of polenta in the same way. ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2017, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-a-tube-of-polenta/796761/14 "2017-09-20T00:15:51Z")
Use Polenta Helper? ---
**Author:** ![Sicks\_Ate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Sicks\_Ate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sicks_Ate)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2017, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-a-tube-of-polenta/796761/15 "2017-09-20T00:38:09Z")
> [@Ulfreida](#): > > Have you smelled a feedlot recently? Feedlots smell like the concentrated waste of ten thousand cows. > > Polenta smells like corn. A different, perhaps objectionable, but different, smell. Ok, to clarify; not a giant Kansas or Texas feedlot. So I’ll say that polenta smells like a amaller-farm feed lot in Iowa. Where the cattle are fed corn. And they shit the corn. Which smells like corn. Which smells like polenta. I’ll admit I’m a bit envious of people who can eat polenta without that association. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2017, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-a-tube-of-polenta/796761/16 "2017-09-20T01:24:02Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > I slice it very thin, fry it in butter (for at least 10 minutes, til the edges are crispy), and serve with maple syrup. When I was a kid, my mother made this, but it was called “fried cornmeal mush.” She’d press the cooked cereal into a loaf pan then chill, slice when it was solid, fry, and serve as described. I can’t think of this dish as savory, although I know it’s commonly served with cheese and tomato sauce. This! Still one of my favorite breakfasts! ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2017, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-a-tube-of-polenta/796761/17 "2017-09-20T01:33:44Z")
> [@needscoffee](#): > > This! Still one of my favorite breakfasts! Yuuummm. With crisp bacon. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![kayT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayt/32/3633_2.png) [@kayT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayT)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2017, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-a-tube-of-polenta/796761/18 "2017-09-20T01:39:49Z")
The nice thing about Trader Joe’s polenta is that it has a nice long shelf life (altho I do refrigerate it) so you can keep it on hand. I usually fry it in a little butter then serve with spaghetti sauce and if I’m lucky enough to still have some venison sausage I slice that up and put it in the sauce. Mmm. And I’m sorry for the feedlot stuff; polenta is really good. I don’t make it from scratch as every time I have tried it has been lumpy. TJ’s polenta is always handy and never lumpy. ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2017, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-a-tube-of-polenta/796761/19 "2017-09-20T02:05:20Z")
Yeah, all that stuff. Polenta is cornmeal mush, or grits. Use it like any grain, sweet for breakfast, savory for dinner. ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2017, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-a-tube-of-polenta/796761/20 "2017-09-20T04:57:46Z")
If you have one of those bean-pebble patio surfaces, use it as spackle. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-a-tube-of-polenta/796761.md?page=2)