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cheesy balls with cornmeal and sausages in a blue baking dish
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5 from 2 votes

Polenta and Cheese Balls

These polenta balls with feta cheese and sausages are soft on the inside and crispy outside. Baked in the oven and served with sour cream, Greek yogurt, or tomato sauce.
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time1 hour
Total Time1 hour 30 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Romanian
Servings: 30
Calories: 66kcal
Author: Adina

Ingredients

  • 1 ⅔ cup coarse or medium cornmeal 250 g, Note 1
  • 4 ¼ cups water 1 liter
  • 1 ½ teaspoons fine salt
  • 10.5 oz fresh sausages of your liking 300 g
  • 5.5 oz feta cheese 150 g, 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:

  • Heat the water in a large pot 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.
  • 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 ensure no lumps. Turn the heat down, place a lid on top but leave a crack open.
  • Stir every 3 minutes or so. Read the cooking instructions on the polenta packet to know how long the cornmeal needs to be cooked. For example, 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:

  • Preheat the oven to 220 degrees Celsius/ 430 degrees Fahrenheit.
  • Combine ingredients: 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.
  • 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.
  • 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 to know how long the cornmeal needs to be cooked. For example, 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

Serving: 1polenta balls without side dish | Calories: 66kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 18mg | Sodium: 317mg