Easy Grilled Polenta with Fresh Mozzarella and Balsamic Tomatoes
~ A super-easy appetizer or side dish! Packaged polenta is grilled (or broiled), topped with creamy mozzarella, and heaped with balsamic tomatoes and basil. ~
This Recipe Is: • Vegetarian • Gluten Free •
Even though the official first day of summer isn’t for a few more days, Father’s Day always (always!) seems like summer. Mother’s Day is definitely spring, but Father’s Day is totally summer.
It just begs for games of wiffle ball and badminton. And grilling.
There must be a grill involved.
When we bought our current home (which is our forever home … because moving makes me nuts!), my husband made me a deal. I got to pick out the washer and dryer that I wanted, and he got to pick out the grill he wanted. Seemed fair enough to me!
And boy, does he love that grill. (And yes, I do love my washer and dryer … what little girl ever dreamed that she’d grow up to say that?!?!)
But he looooves that grill.
He likes to cook (and is really good at it!), but he excels at grilling.
Anytime I suggest something on the grill, my sweet hubby is so thrilled to make it. He jumps at the chance to try new recipes. No fear.
But let’s be honest here, friends. It’s Dad’s special day … does he really want to spend the day prepping a meal and sides? No way!
And since we’re all being so honest here … you don’t really feel like doing that, either. Am I right?
So how about a super-easy, super-summery, super-delicious recipe?
One that comes together in about 4.3478 minutes flat (a rough estimate).
One that’s an amazing appetizer or side for any meal, or (as Shelley and I have already found!) can be a nice, light lunch.
One that will WOW! anyone who tastes it.
One that uses the grill, but only for a few minutes (because you need to keep your spot in the badminton game!).
Warm, lightly grilled polenta, topped with melty, creamy mozzarella, then sprinkled with sweet tomatoes in a delightful balsamic dressing with fresh basil. It’s totally amazing.
Totally. Amazing.
Psssst … just a little suggestion: If you wanna keep the Italian vibe going, follow it up with our fantastic Italian Burgers, for a full-on Italian-inspired meal, straight off the grill!
And if you can’t get enough of all the caprese vibes (or just have lots of extra summer tomatoes to use up), definitely try our caprese-topped Italian Sheet Pan Chicken and Veggies or our Caprese Grilled Fish!
Oh … and should the rain come pouring down unexpectedly … no worries!
These cheesy polenta bites are just as great prepared under the broiler as they are on the grill! (But sorry – the broiler’s not gonna help with your soggy badminton game.)
So if you’re entertaining this weekend, (or any weekend, for that matter!) be sure to whip this up. You’ll be the envy of your friends (who’ll never guess these schwanky little bites took just minutes).
Plus, your husband won’t need to spend all day tending the grill, and everyone can have a fun game of wiffle ball with the fam … ’cause this polenta is absolutely a home run!
Looking for Some More Great Recipes to Grill Up for Dad? Check Out Our:
- Cheesy Pepperoni Pizza Burgers
- Easy Homemade Grilled Pizza
- Tex-Mex Taco Burgers with Creamy Salsa Dressing
- Four-Ingredient Grilled Corn Salad with Nonfat Chili-Lime Dressing
- Plus, you can look like a total grilling pro with our The Secret to Prefect Shish Kabobs
- And for dessert? How about Grilled Tropical Fruit with Almond-Ricotta Sauce? Yum!
Easy Grilled Polenta with Fresh Mozzarella and Balsamic Tomatoes
A super-easy appetizer or side dish! Packaged polenta is grilled (or broiled), topped with creamy mozzarella, and heaped with balsamic tomatoes and basil.
• Vegetarian • Gluten Free •
Ingredients
BALSAMIC TOMATOES
- 1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, quartered
- 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh basil
- 1/2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
POLENTA
- 1 (18-ounce) tube refrigerated, prepared polenta
- 1 teaspoon olive oil, divided
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper, divided
- 4 ounces fresh mozzarella, cut into thinly sliced pieces
Instructions
- Preheat your grill on medium heat.
- Combine tomatoes, basil, vinegar, 1 teaspoon olive oil, and 1/8 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl and set aside.
- Using a sharp knife, cut polenta into 16 even rounds. The easiest way to do this is to cut the log of polenta evenly in half, then cut each half in half again, so you have four quarters. Cut each quarter in half and then cut those two rounds in half again, so you have 16 polenta rounds.
- Lay polenta out on a baking sheet or large tray and brush lightly with 1/2 teaspoon of olive oil. Sprinkle 1/8 teaspoon salt and 1/16 teaspoon black pepper lightly across the rounds. Flip the rounds, brush again with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of olive oil, and sprinkle evenly with the remaining 1/8 teaspoon salt and 1/16 teaspoon pepper.
- Grill the rounds about 10-12 minutes on the first side. Once they begin to develop some light grill marks, flip them and grill for another 8-10 minutes.
- Turn grill to low and top each polenta round with some of the mozzarella. Close grill lid, and continue grilling for just a minute or two, until cheese has started to melt but isn't so melted that it's dripping off into the grill.
- Arrange cheesy polenta rounds on a serving platter and dollop each generously with some of the balsamic tomato mixture. Alternately, you can pass the balsamic tomatoes separately and let everyone top their own.
Notes
Grilling: Grills vary widely in temperature settings, so the settings and times you use may need to be adjusted according to your specific grill.
Alternate Broiling Instructions: You can also cook these polenta rounds indoors under the broiler. Simply preheat your broiler as needed. Then, once you've brushed both sides of the polenta rounds with oil and sprinkled them with salt and pepper, broil them for approximately 8-10 minutes on each side, flipping them when they begin to get a bit golden brown. Add mozzarella and finish by broiling for just another minute or two, until mozzarella begins to melt. Serve topped with balsamic tomatoes.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 16 servings Serving Size: 1 polenta round with toppingsAmount Per Serving: Calories: 52Total Fat: 3gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 8mgSodium: 173mgCarbohydrates: 4gFiber: 0gSugar: 1gProtein: 2g
Nutrition information should be considered an estimate only, and may vary depending on your choice of ingredients or preparation. No guarantees are made regarding allergies or dietary needs. Always consult a physician or dietician for specific advice and questions.
Oh that melted cheese on that polenta looks amazing! I could do some serious damage on these little babies.
These babies really do slide down pretty easily – lol! Maybe you’ll just want to plan to make a double batch! We actually found they were PERFECT as a little mid-afternoon lunchy-snack the day we photographed them … we’re not telling how many we ate all by ourselves! 😀 ~G&S
This definitely rocks! but we need to have a little talk…A washer/dryer? Call me if you ever need some more suggestions! Manservant is needing a new grill as we’ve had ours probably 30 years, no lie! But a washer dryer is a given, is it not? Now a new couch-that might work!
30 years with one grill!?!? That’s amazing! So you for sure should bargain for a new couch (and maybe a coordinating ottoman and loveseat?!?) when he picks out a new grill! And hey – maybe throw in a new washer and dryer while you’re at it, too! Lol! 😀 ~G&S
What an awesome recipe! I love it. Fresh summer tomatoes in a balsamic dressing with fresh basil. And, I’m pretty sure that fresh mozzarella is my favorite cheese. Thanks for sharing your recipe.
Fresh mozzarella is just all kinds of wonderful! So melty and creamy-licious! It’s perfect in this recipe, and a little bit goes a really long way! For sure if you love fresh mozzarella that much, you are gonna loooooove this polenta! 😀 ~G&S
You really can’t go wrong with lovely fresh tomatoes, basil & balsamic, but what a great idea to top polenta with them! Happy grilling!
The polenta really does bring a whole new level of “yum!” to the classic summer combination of tomatoes and basil – you’ll love it! The polenta gets a bit crunchy on the outside and so creamy-warm on the inside, and it adds a subtle little sweetness. So wonderful! Can’t wait for you to try it! 😀 ~G&S
I love the summer flavors of this! Looks beautiful, too!
Hi Christine! This is a total snap to make and just tastes like summertime! (Does summer even have a flavor?? Yes, it tastes like grilled polenta with fresh mozzarella and balsamic tomatoes!) 😀 So fresh, so easy, so delicious! ~G&S