Polenta French Toast
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For me, growing up in an Italian family, polenta was always a savory dish and served exclusively in one of two ways: soft-style with red sauce or soft-style with Italian sausage. Go figure 
Until last year, that was the extent of my experience with the Italian version of grits, and while delicious, I was happy to start branching out and experimenting with other ways to enjoy the cornmeal dish. My first attempt at a sweet variety of polenta was Vanilla & Brown Sugar Breakfast Polenta, which is an unbelievable way to start the day. Sweet and porridge-like, it’s a great alternative to oatmeal when you are in the mood for something different. I then moved on to Polenta Pizza, which uses polenta as a crust that you can top with vegetables, your favorite pizza toppings, or anything your heart desires. It’s awesome as a main dish or cut into squares for appetizers.
Continuing my quest to make new and different dishes using polenta, this version of French toast immediately caught my attention. And then it subsequently won over my taste buds.
This is pretty much like breakfast polenta, part II. A batch of sweetened polenta is prepared and then instead of eating it hot right then (which you could totally do, and save the leftovers for a smaller batch of this French toast!), you spread it into a pan (I used a 9×13) and let it firm up in the fridge overnight. This version of sweetened polenta uses maple syrup instead of brown sugar and is flavored with orange zest, cinnamon and nutmeg. I think the combination of orange zest and cinnamon really makes this, and I would definitely include both (especially the orange zest!). Dipping the triangles in flour allows the pieces to develop a nice crisp crust while in the pan, which is a great contrast to the soft and smooth texture of the inside.
I served this with maple syrup, berries and a sprinkling of powdered sugar. Top yours with your favorite French toast adornments, and enjoy a delicious twist on a breakfast favorite!
Polenta French Toast
Yield: 6 servings
Prep Time: 45 minutes (active), 8 hours (inactive)
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Ingredients:
For the Polenta:
6½ cups water
½ teaspoon coarse salt
2 cups cornmeal
½ cup pure maple syrup
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Grated zest of 1 orange
Pinch freshly grated nutmeg
1 cup milkFor the French Toast:
½ cup flour (corn, semolina or all-purpose)
Butter (for frying)Directions:
1. Make the polenta: Bring water and salt to a boil in a large saucepan. Add cornmeal in a slow, steady stream, whisking constantly. Cook, stirring often, until mixture begins to thicken, about 4 minutes. Reduce the heat to low, and cook, stirring often, for about 30 minutes.
2. Whisk in the syrup, cinnamon, orange zest, nutmeg and milk. Cook for another 30 minutes. Spread polenta into a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet, and let cool. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
3. Make the French toast: Cut the cold polenta into squares and cut each square into two triangles. Heat a large pan over medium-high heat and melt about 2 tablespoons of butter per four triangles. Toss the polenta squares with flour, dusting off excess. Add to the pan and cook, turning, until golden brown on all sides. Serve with maple syrup, powdered sugar, and fruit.
(Recipe adapted from Martha Stewart Living
, April 2009)
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What a genius idea for polenta. I love it!
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Never would have thought of using polenta for french toast! What a novel idea!
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delicious this looks..
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I love corn products…period. I am getting a kick out of you as you discover these ways with polenta.
My Mom called this fried mush. We pour the cooked meal into a bread pan and sliced it after setting up over night. She had always used cornmeal and then I made it for her using polenta. We really liked how it fried up being a finer grind than the cornmeal.
I love your site and you really inspire me to keep cooking!
Thank you!
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I like your thinking. Not only is this a new way to make polenta, but it’s a new way to make french toast! Amazing.
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Hi!
I’m Italian, and I’m a good follower of your recipes. Living in Northern Italy, Polenta is our greatest food tradition. We always have it on Sundays, when our family gathers. =)
thanks for sharing this recipe…I’ll definitely try it someday!
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What an interesting way to prepare polenta! Most breakfast foods are pretty tasty with maple syrup on them!
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This looks like it will be one of my new favorites! (My husband is Italian, so he’ll be excited to try this one, too!)
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I’ve been looking forward to this entry since you first mentioned it. Can’t wait to try this recipe!
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What a unique use for polenta! I really want to try this, thanks for sharing!
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Creative! Love it!
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Yum! I just jumped on the fresh-made polenta bandwagon recently, so I will definitely be taking a tour through your polenta related archives! I just posted a savory polenta dish with sausage and mozzarella yesterday–like lasagna, without the noodles. Addiction now forming.
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What a great way to use up my polenta! Love it!
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I’ll have to give this a try, thanks for sharing!
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Delicious! I love using polenta in non-traditional ways, especially if it involves maple syrup!
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What a great dish to serve for breakfast…or dinner!
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What a unique idea!
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What an innovative way to use polenta. I have become rather fond of polenta over the past couple of years, so I’m excited to have a way to incorporate it into breakfast now.
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yummy, I LOVE maple syrup with desserts
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Yum, how different and fun! Love it!
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What a different idea for breakfast. This looks really tasty!
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How unique! Sounds wonderful:)
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I would have never thought of using polenta this way, but it’s genius! Love the idea.
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This is such a great idea! I love fried cornmeal mush for breakfast, but this version sounds epic.
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This is such an awesome idea! It’s one of those ideas that is so simple you wonder why you didn’t think of it yourself! YUM!
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What a fantastic idea! So different, and it looks DELICIOUS
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Love it!
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Wow I’ve never seen anything like this! I can imagine how delicious it is.
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I never thought of making French toast with polenta. What a genius idea. Thanks for the inspiration.
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This is AMAZING! We are gluten and dairy free and my kids are thrilled to have french toast back on their breakfast menu! I subbed unsweetened vanilla almond milk and added one teaspoon of vanilla at the end of cooking, just before pouring into the 9×13. I can’t get over how great this is!
Thank you!
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