What to do with leftover polenta? After the leftover polenta gnocchi today I propose tasty fried flavored meatballs without cheese, a quick recipe to prepare snacks for appetizers or appetizers super tasty and very simple. To make these polenta croquettes you will need a few basic ingredients: leftover polenta, an egg, homemade breadcrumbs and aromatic herbs (sage, rosemary, oregano, thyme, etc.)
How to make polenta you already know, but sometimes no idea comes up for using the leftover, apart from making classic fried polenta. I found this delicious recipe, it is fried meatballs I flavored with sage and rosemary (but other aromatic herbs are also good), I put all the necessary ingredients in a food chopper mixer and in a few seconds I got the perfect dough to make the balls.
A quick little recipe the leftover polenta meatballs, but also an anti-waste recycling recipe, because you know in the kitchen nothing is thrown away… let alone polenta!
I’ll leave you some other ideas to try:
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Very economical
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 4
- Cooking methods: Frying
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
- Energy 455.42 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 46.41 (g) of which sugars 1.62 (g)
- Proteins 7.53 (g)
- Fat 27.25 (g) of which saturated 4.91 (g)of which unsaturated 20.58 (g)
- Fibers 4.00 (g)
- Sodium 887.91 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 90 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients
- 7 oz polenta (leftover)
- 1 3/4 oz breadcrumbs
- 1 egg
- to taste salt
- to taste aromatic herbs (sage, rosemary, thyme, oregano, etc.)
- to taste peanut oil (for frying)
Tools
- Frying Pan
- Mixer
Recipe
A very quick, easy and tasty snack!
Finely chop the chosen aromatic herbs with a mezzaluna (I used a few sage leaves and a sprig of rosemary) then transfer them to a food chopper mixer together with the leftover polenta cut into pieces, the breadcrumbs, and the egg.
Set the mixer to full speed and stop only when the ingredients are well blended together. Transfer the obtained dough into a bowl and make balls as big as a walnut, rolling them with the palms of your hands.
Once all are ready, you just have to fry them in plenty of boiling seed oil, turning them with a spatula on all sides. When they are golden, drain them and transfer them to a plate covered with kitchen paper towels. Salt and serve immediately, they are good hot.
Here’s the idea for a very quick snack to present for appetizers or aperitifs with friends. The leftover polenta meatballs are so good that one leads to another. If you serve them just prepared and still hot, I’m sure they’ll finish soon. Enjoy your meal!
Storage and Tips
Storage: the polenta meatballs are best consumed immediately. I recommend storing the dough and frying them when needed. The already prepared mixture can be stored in the refrigerator for 1-2 days in an airtight container.
Tips: you can use a mix of aromatic herbs or choose just one according to your taste.
To form the balls well, wet your hands or use a bit of cornmeal.
If you use gluten-free breadcrumbs, the polenta meatballs can also be consumed by those with celiac intolerance.
