I thought it would be fun to make a pizza for Brown bag Lunch Month. I mean, who doesn’t like to get pizza in their lunch bag!And, a fun new twist on the traditional pizza was in order. That’s where this easy to make Polenta Pizza comes in. Fun, yummy, and topped with lots of veggies!
The crust on this Polenta Pizza reminds me of a deep dish Chicago-style pizza. It’s thick and rich and as an added bonus, it’s gluten-free.
I used regular polenta. I can’t seem to find anywhere that sells instant polenta anymore. So, the instructions I’m giving are for regular polenta. I suspect that you could do the same with instant polenta, just shorten the cooking time in the pan based on the package directions.
After you bake the polenta, a nice little crust will form over the top, this is where you’ll want to top your Polenta Pizza. The crust gives a more firm and sturdy area to work on.
About ½ cup pizza sauce, or more or less to your liking. My favorite pizza sauce is this homemade one, and it comes together in just a couple minutes, so it’s worth it to make your own.
You could roast your own red peppers using these instructions, or simply use jarred roasted red peppers to save yourself a little time.
And remember, you can take a look at lots of lunch ideas over on my Pinterest Board: Brown Bagging it: Great lunch ideas!
And, this would be a really fun appetizer at a party! Just cut them up into small bite sized pieces for Polenta Pizza Nibbles! Fun!
Polenta Pizza Recipe
Polenta Pizza
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon olive oil plus additional for oiling the pan
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 1 cup polenta
- ½ large yellow onion chopped
- ½ cup pizza sauce
- 2 ounces queso fresco crumbled
- 2 jarred roasted red peppers chopped
- 1 small handful fresh oregano roughly chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400º F. Oil the bottom and sides of a 10-inch cast iron or oven-proof skillet, and set aside.
- Bring vegetable broth to a boil in a medium pan over medium-high heat, and slowly stir in polenta. Stir polenta constantly until thickened, about 25 minutes.
- While the polenta cooks, place 1 teaspoon oil in a heavy bottomed skillet, and heat over medium-high heat. Add chopped onions, and cook until onions soften and caramelize, about 20-30 minutes, stirring often. If onions begin to cook too fast, or burn, add a small amount of water to the pan and continue to cook. Once onions are done to your liking, remove from heat and set aside.
- Pour cooked soft polenta into the prepared cast iron skillet, and bake in the 400º F oven for 15-20 minutes. Carefully remove the hot pan from the oven and top with the pizza sauce, queso fresco, caramelized onions, chopped red peppers, and oregano. Return the pan to the oven for 5 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbly. Remove pan from oven, and allow to cool, about 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with additional fresh oregano if desired.
culinaryginger says
I love this idea and I love polenta. I have to give this a try.
Sophia @ NY Foodgasm says
OMG this looks fabulous and is sure to keep you full for hours! LOOOOOVE polenta and pizza, YUM!
dcclark13 says
Awesome recipe and under 300 calories? Fantastic, n many pizzas cost say that! Can’t wait to give your pizza a try.
peter @feedyoursoultoo says
Love this idea. I love polenta and never thought to do this. On my to do list for sure.
Nettie says
I just bought some polenta yesterday, never thought to make a pizza with it, fabulous idea! Nettie
Tara says
What an amazing looking pizza and such a cool idea, great job!! Love the photos too!
manilaspoon says
Wow! This is so deliciously creative, I love it!
mealplanmaven says
As we like to eat as gluten-free as possible these days, I am super-excited to have found your beautiful pizza with its polenta crust! Thank you Debi for this awesome recipe! (and our tummies thank you too!)
angela says
This is such a great idea! I love the polenta crust!!! Looks so great!
lydiaf1963 says
I agree they’d make a fun appetizer. Love the crust with the tomatoes.
Healing Tomato says
I have never had polenta pizza. This will be so much fun to make. Also love all the tomatoes in this recipe.
Culinary Flavors says
I am a total sucker for pizza! I love the idea of substituting dough with polenta!
Michelle De La Cerda says
Your opening remarks were what I had on my mind exactly…Chicago deep dish. I love what you have done here.
pattyanderson54 says
I think the drive to eat healthy and without meat has led your mind to create some really awesome recipes – uh, like this one!
christine (@foodyschmoody) says
Debi, this is amazingly creative. What a great use of polenta!
Dan from Platter Talk says
Thanks for doing this polenta pizza post; it’s inspiring and delicious looking. I love your use of the skillet!
Dannii @ Hungry Healthy Happy says
I am SO happy to see this. I recently started eating gluten free, so this would be perfect for me,
Elena says
This looks so tasty! I can’t wait to try it 🙂
Nicole Neverman says
I absolutely LOVE this pizza! What a fun, delicious twist on pizza 🙂
April J Harris (@apriljharris) says
What a delicious crust! Your pizza looks amazing, Debi – and I love how versatile it is too!
Joanne T Ferguson says
This looks so healthy and delicious Debi! Pinned and shared!
Florian @ContentednessCooking says
You don’t know how much I love polenta! This pizza is just delicious, love all the flavors!