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Snack & Appetizers

Polenta Cups with Speck and Gorgonzola

Polenta cups with speck, Gorgonzola and caramelized red onions are a tasty appetizer for any season, and especially right for holiday meals.
Recipe Polenta Cups with Speck and Gorgonzola
  • Difficulty Easy
  • Preparation 15 minutes
  • Cooking 1 hour
  • Servings for 6 people

Polenta Cups are a tasty, eye-catching dish, ideal to serve as an appetizer that will really impress your guests. This Polenta Cups Recipe, which celebrates the harmony between polenta and cheese, stands out for its simplicity and its ability to win over every palate: Gorgonzola, speck (smoked cured ham from South Tyrol) and caramelized Tropea onions come together in a pairing of authentic, unique flavors.

Making an unforgettable Polenta Appetizer has never been easier: once the polenta is cooked, you use muffin pans to turn it into lovely cups ready to hold a generous filling of creamy Gorgonzola and flavorful speck. But if you are looking for a real flavor revolution, you have to try pairing them with Caramelized Red Onions (made with our recipe), whose sweet, slightly pungent flavor lifts the whole experience. This Quick and Easy Appetizer is ready in a few minutes, which also makes it perfect to prepare ahead and put in the oven only when it’s time to serve.

Polenta Cups are an easy appetizer you can customize as you like with your favorite ingredients or with what’s in season: for example, you could fill them with some lentils for tasty Polenta Cups with Lentils, and perhaps also add some cotechino (a large Italian pork sausage) to make Polenta Cups with Cotechino and Lentils perfect for the New Year’s Eve or Christmas Eve dinner.
If you are after typical fall flavors, you must try a filling of mushrooms and sausage for delicious Polenta Cups with Mushrooms or Polenta Cups with Mushrooms and Sausage. With this must-try polenta recipe you can really let your imagination and creativity run free, for an appetizer your guests will love from the very first bite.

Ingredients for 6 people

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Method

  1. To make the Polenta Cups with Gorgonzola and Speck, start by making the polenta. Bring water and coarse salt to a boil, then add the polenta cornmeal and cook according to the package directions. Once cooked, remove from the heat and let it cool slightly. Meanwhile, butter a muffin pan.
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  2. Once the polenta has cooled slightly (don’t wait until it is cold, or you won’t be able to shape it), place a heaping spoonful in each cup of the pan. Using a damp spoon or your fingers (careful not to burn yourself), form a cup by pressing the polenta against the sides and making a hollow in the center.
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  3. Bake the cups in a preheated oven at 180 °C (350 °F) for 15 minutes. Then let them cool for a few moments and, careful not to burn yourself, unmold them and arrange them on a baking sheet. Fill each cup with a slice of speck.
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  4. Place a spoonful of Gorgonzola in each cup. If you want a refined pairing with a unique, original flavor, top some of them with a teaspoon of caramelized red onions. Once they are filled, bake them again for 10 minutes, still at 180 °C (350 °F).
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  5. Take them out of the oven and serve the Polenta Cups with Speck, Gorgonzola and Caramelized Red Onions piping hot. Finally, remember to download our App with exclusive content and fewer ads!
    Polenta cups

Variations and Alternatives

As mentioned, you can fill your Polenta Cups with whatever you like best, from lentils to pumpkin, or Brie, Gorgonzola and so on.

Tips

Before shaping the polenta in the molds, we recommend letting it cool for a few minutes. It will be easier to shape.

Storage

Polenta Cups keep in the fridge for 1-2 days.

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