Wondering What to Serve with Polenta? Here Are 27 Ideas, from Hearty to Healthy

• Time Commitment: 1 hour, 5 minutes
• Why I Love It: kid-friendly, beginner-friendly

Trade the usual spaghetti for polenta and you’re left with a meal that’s elegant enough to serve to company, yet still kid-friendly (and simple) enough to make on a weeknight. Go ahead and use jarred marinara sauce; we won’t tell.

• Time Commitment: 45 minutes
• Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, special occasion–worthy, vegetarian

This recipe turns polenta into crispy pan-fried bites, but you could just as easily serve the jammy topping over the creamy kind too.

• Time Commitment: 50 minutes
• Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, sheet pan recipe

Pop the mushrooms in the oven to roast while you’re cooking the polenta, and then they’ll be conveniently done at the same time. To make it a heartier main course, put an egg on it (if you so please).

• Time Commitment: 30 minutes
• Why I Love It: <30 minutes, high protein

This one is as easy to make as it is to eat and it comes together in all of 30 minutes, plus the turkey sausage adds protein without a ton of fat. New weeknight staple? You bet.

• Time Commitment: 55 minutes
• Why I Love It: vegetarian, vegan, dairy free, gluten free

For a plant-based spin on polenta, finish it with avocado oil a squeeze of lemon instead of the usual milk and cheese.

• Time Commitment: 40 minutes
• Why I Love It: vegetarian, low carb, beginner-friendly

A vibrant jumble of roasted vegetables is practically begging to be served over a steaming bowl of polenta. Drizzle everything with pesto or balsamic vinegar (or both) before serving.

• Time Commitment: 15 minutes
• Why I Love It: <15 minutes, <10 ingredients

If you think of this traditional Mexican dish as the cousin to Italian shrimp scampi, it only makes sense to serve it atop polenta. It’s just the thing to soak up all that butter and garlic.

• Time Commitment: 40 minutes
• Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, gluten free

These scallops require just a few minutes of cooking per side, but they still manage to feel fancy. If that’s not a reason to host a dinner party, we don’t know what is.

• Time Commitment: 20 minutes
• Why I Love It: special occasion–worthy, <10 ingredients, <30 minutes

Our number one tip for success? Make sure the scallops are super dry before plopping them in the hot skillet. Otherwise, they’ll never get a gorgeous golden brown sear (and that’s kind of the best part).

• Time Commitment: 35 minutes
• Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, gluten free, dairy free

This take on the Japanese dish buta no shogayaki would normally be served with white rice, but you could also slice it and arrange it over a bowl of polenta for a twist.

• Time Commitment: 35 minutes
• Why I Love It: gluten free, special occasion–worthy

As the grapes roast, they soften and become almost saucy—just the thing to combine with polenta for a cozy meal.

• Time Commitment: 7 hours, 10 minutes
• Why I Love It: slow cooker recipe, make ahead, <10 ingredients

Sandwiches are delicious, but they’re kind of casual. If you want to fancy up pulled pork, serve it with polenta—barbecue sauce optional.

• Time Commitment: 30 minutes
• Why I Love It: <30 minutes, special occasion–worthy

Unlike lamb rib chops, which are small and come with the long rib bone attached, loin chops are slightly larger with more meat. These are seasoned with vinegar and garnished with a creamy, nutty sauce that would be lovely over a bed of polenta.

• Time Commitment: 40 minutes
• Why I Love It: special occasion–worthy, gluten free

FYI, these glazed lamb chops are as easy to cook as chicken. Eight minutes on the grill and voilà, you’ve got the fanciest party-ready entrée you’ve ever seen. 

• Time Commitment: 6 hours, 45 minutes
• Why I Love It: slow cooker recipe, make ahead, crowd-pleaser

This ragù tastes like you spent all day cooking but is almost entirely hands-off, thanks to the slow cooker. The set-it-and-forget-it meat sauce is ideal for coating a bowl of pasta or gracing the top of a creamy pile of polenta.

• Time Commitment: 1 hour, 10 minutes
• Why I Love It: kid-friendly, crowd-pleaser, make ahead

The key to perfection is tossing a combination of beef and pork with panko breadcrumbs, which gives these meatballs a tender texture and balanced flavor. They freeze well, so it’s easy to make a big batch and just reheat when you have people coming over for dinner. 

• Time Commitment: 35 minutes
• Why I Love It: kid-friendly, beginner-friendly

It’s important to make the meatballs uniform, round and slightly smaller than golf balls—that way, they’ll cook evenly. The ricotta keeps them light, while parsley and garlic add flavor.

• Time Commitment: 8 hours, 20 minutes
• Why I Love It: make ahead, slow cooker recipe, special occasion–worthy, crowd-pleaser

It takes hours to get a melt-in-your-mouth version of this French fave…unless you make your trusty slow cooker do all the work. Throw it in the pot, go about your day and come back to magically tender results that would make any chef proud, oui oui!

• Time Commitment: 4 hours, 15 minutes
• Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion–worthy

Typically, brisket is simmered in a tomato-based sauce for rich results. Here, tons of caramelized onions provide the same sweetness as tomatoes, while a glug of sherry wine adds the acidity you need to cut through the richness of the meat.

• Time Commitment: 30 minutes
• Why I Love It: sheet pan recipe, <30 minutes, <10 ingredients

If you’re cooking most of your dinner all at once on a sheet pan, what’s one pot of polenta on the stove going to add to the cleanup? It’s worth it, promise.

• Time Commitment: 1 hour, 30 minutes
• Why I Love It: special occasion–worthy, high protein

Juicy chicken with crispy skin rests on a caramelized layer of Medjool dates and green olives. The dish is salty-sweet and bright (thanks to lemon juice and zest) all at once.

• Time Commitment: 30 minutes
• Why I Love It: vegetarian, <10 ingredients

These mushrooms practically create their own pan sauce while roasting in the oven; at the end of the cook time, you’ll thicken the liquid to create a gravy-like sauce. It’s impressive minimum effort—ideal for impromptu get-togethers with friends.

• Time Commitment: 1 hour, 20 minutes
• Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, beginner-friendly

If we never get tired of eating chicken, it’s because there are a million and one ways to keep it interesting. This version is all at once hearty and bright, thanks to plenty of citrus zest and a white wine pan sauce.

• Time Commitment: 1 hour, 15 minutes
• Why I Love It: vegetarian, crowd-pleaser

Beans and polenta are an unlikely pairing, but these legumes are swimming in a creamy, herby sauce that begs for a starchy companion. (Don’t tell anyone, but it starts with a can.)

• Time Commitment: 35 minutes
• Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, vegetarian

For a lighter meal, pair polenta with these cheesy, peppery Brussels sprouts. They come together with about five ingredients, so dinner has never been simpler.

• Time Commitment: 50 minutes
• Why I Love It: vegetarian, beginner-friendly

This is a healthy-and-hearty recipe that is simple to make and infinitely adaptable, too. Swap out the chickpeas for any type of bean, or add tomato and eggplant to switch up the vegetables.

• Time Commitment: 35 minutes
• Why I Love It: vegetarian, crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly

The briny green olive pesto is packed with intense flavor, so it’s just the thing to brighten up a bowl of polenta. Pass the Parmesan, would you?