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Polenta Ham and Cheese Stackers

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The Food in My Beard
Updated Sep 6, 2017
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A fun appetizer that has a classy look but a homey flavor.

More About This Recipe

  • Layers of creamy polenta, ham and plenty of cheese make these stackers the ultimate snack. Polenta is a fun alternative to bready appetizers, especially when you're feeding people with gluten allergies. I recently had the idea for these fun stacked polenta ham and cheese bites, but when I first made them, they totally fell apart on me! I made a few tweaks in the recipe and finally got it right. It was totally worth the extra effort because the final outcome was fantastic! One important step in making these right is making sure to fully cook the polenta. Sometimes when I'm making polenta I only cook it about half the time to retain a little more texture, but when you want it to be nice and firm, you have to cook it for the full 45 minutes. When you taste the polenta it'll be super creamy and not have that gritty texture anymore. Make these tasty snacks and you'll never look at ham and cheese the same way again!

Polenta Ham and Cheese Stackers

  • Prep Time 60 min
  • Total 9 hr 0 min
  • Servings 30
  • Ingredients 6
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Ingredients

  • 2 cups cornmeal
  • 2 cups milk
  • 4 cups chicken stock
  • 1/2 lb deli ham, sliced thin
  • 1 cup cheddar cheese, grated
  • 4 oz cheddar cheese, sliced into squares

Instructions

  • Step 
    1
    Bring the milk and stock to a simmer. Whisk in the cornmeal. Turn to low and cook for about 35-45 minutes, stirring constantly to form polenta mixture.
  • Step 
    2
    Line a baking dish with parchment and spoon in 1/3 of the polenta mixture. The polenta will be starting to firm up quickly so make sure you work fast. Spread the polenta out thin. Sprinkle on a light cheese layer, followed by ham, and then a little more cheese. Repeat, creating a middle layer with another 1/3 of polenta. Add cheese, ham, and more cheese, and then top with the final polenta layer. Spread smooth. Top with more parchment and press it down to make it tight. Place in the fridge to rest overnight.
  • Step 
    3
    Preheat the oven to 450°F. Use a round cookie cutter, empty tin can or anything round and sharp. Quickly and firmly, cut out rounds with the cutter. Place the rounds onto a greased baking sheet. Bake for about 15 minutes, until the edges are starting to crisp and brown.
  • Step 
    4
    Turn the broiler on. Top with the cheese squares and broil for a few minutes until the cheese gets gooey.

Nutrition

90 Calories
3 1/2g Total Fat
5g Protein
9g Total Carbohydrate
1g Sugars

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size: 1 Serving
Calories
90
Calories from Fat
30
Total Fat
3 1/2g
6%
Saturated Fat
2g
9%
Trans Fat
0g
Cholesterol
15mg
5%
Sodium
200mg
8%
Potassium
65mg
2%
Total Carbohydrate
9g
3%
Dietary Fiber
0g
0%
Sugars
1g
Protein
5g
% Daily Value*:
Vitamin A
2%
2%
Vitamin C
0%
0%
Calcium
8%
8%
Iron
4%
4%
Exchanges:
1/2 Starch; 0 Fruit; 0 Other Carbohydrate; 0 Skim Milk; 0 Low-Fat Milk; 0 Milk; 0 Vegetable; 0 Very Lean Meat; 0 Lean Meat; 0 High-Fat Meat; 0 Fat;
Carbohydrate Choice
1/2
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
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