Mămăligă cu brânză – Baked Romanian mamaliga with cheese

Mamaliga with cheese

Baked Romanian polenta with feta cheese
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time40 minutes
Total Time50 minutes
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Romanian
Keyword: cheese, cornmeal
Servings: 6

Ingredients

  • 2 cups water
  • 1 cup yellow cornmeal
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 3 slices bacon
  • cups crumbled feta cheese
  • ¼ cup melted butter
  • shredded kashkaval cheese optional

Instructions

  • Bring water to a rapid boil in a 4-quart pot. Meanwhile preheat oven to 375°F.
  • Reduce heat to simmer and add cornmeal and salt.
  • While cornmeal cooks, put bacon on small sheet pan and bake in oven.
  • Stir porridge constantly until cornmeal begins to pull away from side of pot, about 20 minutes.
  • Remove bacon from oven when fully cooked and reserve the drippings.
  • Add feta, melted butter and bacon drippings to porridge and stir until mixed.
  • Put cornmeal-cheese mixture into a greased baking dish and bake uncovered for 20 minutes.
  • When cornmeal has browned just a little and begins to crisp up on the edges, remove from oven.
  • Sprinkle crumbled bacon over the top. Cut into pieces and serve with shredded kashkaval or sour cream.