Polenta and Cheese Balls

Last Updated on 07/06/2020 by Adina

Polenta balls with feta cheese and sausages, they are soft on the inside and crispy on the outside. Baked in the oven and served with sour cream, Greek yogurt or tomato sauce.

These polenta balls with cheese are another twist on the basic polenta. This time you will mix it with feta cheese and chopped sausages, form some little balls and bake them. Your kids will love them! At least mine did, they were all over them and they ate them not only warm but cold as well.

Alternative fillings

These balls are not only delicious but quite versatile as well.

• I added sausages because that is what almost any Romanian would probably do, but if you want to keep the balls vegetarian – please do! Leave out the sausages and add more cheese.
• You could even add finely chopped olives or green onions as well if you like. I do! Especially the olives. 🙂
• Not very Romanian, but for sure delicious would be some sun-dried tomatoes or some anchovies…
• The feta cheese can be substituted as well: Gouda, cheddar or any strong tasting cheese would be great.

Tips

• Be generous with the spices, especially with the salt, in my opinion, anything made with polenta requires more salt than you would actually think.
• But depending on how salty the feta cheese is and how spicy the sausages, you might need to adjust the salt accordingly. Taste and add until you reach the desired taste.

How to make?

• Cook a basic polenta – mamaliga.
• Remove from the heat and let cool for 5 minutes, but no longer as it will set too much.
• Preheat the oven to 220 degrees Celsius/ 430 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Mix the polenta with finely chopped or crumbled sausages and crumbled feta cheese.
• Add the lightly beaten egg, dill, salt, and pepper.
• Make about 30 balls about the size of a golf ball.
• Wet your hands after every 3 or 4 balls, it makes things easier.
• Place in a buttered casserole dish and sprinkle with a little bit of the grated cheese.
• Place a tiny amount of butter on each ball.
• Bake for about 20 minutes or until golden.

How to serve?

• Serve immediately with crème fraiche/ sour cream/ Greek yogurt and a green salad.
• Or you can serve them with tomato or marinara sauce, my daughter’s favorite version.
• The polenta balls are best served immediately and hot.
• If you have leftovers you can eat them cold or reheat them in the oven for about 10 minutes at 180 degrees Celsius/ 350 degrees Fahrenheit or until heated through. They might be a bit drier on the outside though after reheating, so make sure you serve them with plenty of yogurt or sauce.

More polenta recipes

Polenta Chicken

Mushroom Polenta Casserole

Polenta Pizza

Polenta Souffle

Sweet Polenta Cake – Malai dulce

Polenta and Cheese Balls

Yield: 30

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes

Polenta balls with feta cheese and sausages, they are soft on the inside, and crispy on the outside. Baked in the oven and served with sour cream, Greek yogurt or tomato sauce.

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Ingredients

• 250 g/ 8.8 oz/ 1 2/3 cup coarse or medium cornmeal (See note 1)
• 1 liter/ 33.8 fl.oz/ 4 ¼ cups water
• 1 ½ teaspoons fine salt
• 300 g/ 10.5 oz fresh sausages of your liking
• 150 g/ 5.3 oz feta cheese (See note 2)
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
• 1 teaspoon fine sea salt, to taste
• freshly ground black pepper
• 1 small handful grated cheese (Gouda or cheddar)
• 1 teaspoon butter
• crème fraiche/ sour cream/ Greek yogurt/ tomato sauce to serve

Instructions

Polenta:

1. Pour the water into a large pot. Heat the water but don't let it come to a boil (it helps against the formation of lumps). Add the salt. Slowly add the cornmeal while stirring or whisking (with an egg beater, not a mixer) all the time.
2. A word of caution - be careful when the polenta starts to bubble, if the bubbles are too large you might get burned – so turn the heat down if that happens. When all the cornmeal is incorporated, continue stirring or whisking shortly to make sure there are no lumps. Turn the heat down, place a lid on top but leave a crack open.
3. Stir every 4-5 minutes or so but there is definitely no need to stir all the time. Read the cooking instructions on the polenta packet just to know for sure how long the cornmeal needs to be cooked. I cook the polenta made with coarse cornmeal for 40 to 50 minutes and the polenta made with medium cornmeal for about 15 minutes.

Polenta balls:

1. Preheat the oven to 220 degrees Celsius/ 430 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove the casings from the sausages. Mix the polenta with the finely chopped or crumbled sausages and the crumbled feta cheese. Add the lightly beaten egg, dill, salt to taste, and pepper.
2. Make about 30 balls about the size of a golf ball. Wet your hands after every 3 or 4 balls. Place the balls into a buttered casserole dish and sprinkle each ball with a little bit of the grated cheese. Place a tiny amount of butter on each ball.
3. Bake for about 20 minutes in the hot oven or until golden. Serve immediately with crème fraiche/ sour cream/ Greek yogurt/ tomato sauce and a green salad.

Notes

1. Read the cooking instructions on the polenta packet just to know for sure how long the cornmeal needs to be cooked. I cook the polenta made with coarse cornmeal for 40 to 50 minutes and the polenta made with medium cornmeal for about 15 minutes.
2. Or Romanian telemea, if available.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 30 Serving Size: 1 polenta balls without side dish
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 66Total Fat: 5gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 18mgSodium: 317mgCarbohydrates: 4gFiber: 0gSugar: 0gProtein: 3g

Nutrition information isn’t always accurate.