Creamy, hearty gourmet “peasant food” that’s a flavorful base for fabulous Weeknight Beef Bourguignon, Duck Ragu or just perfectly plain!

Start Overnight Thyme Parmesan Polenta the night before to make it a fast weekday sensation any time you want polenta!   That’s what makes it a perfect addition to the Weekday Gourmand’s Meal Planner – World Tour Week menus!

 

OVERNIGHT THYME PARMESAN POLENTA 

Normally, you’d have to fuss over a big pot of polenta for at least 35 minutes for so.  It’s ends up being a fairly hands-on job if you don’t want to scorch your pan or polenta.  And that seems like a bit too much for a weekday dinner.  That’s why Overnight Thyme Parmesan Polenta is such a blessing on a Thursday evening!

So here’s a fabulous way to cut the cooking time in half and keep the stirring to a minimum:

• At least 12 hours before cooking, add the polenta to a large stockpot or saucepan and whisk in the boiling water. Cover and let sit at room temperature for up to 12 hours. (if you’re keeping it longer, just pop into the refrigerator until 30 minutes before cooking)
• Add the broth and salt to the pot and whisk to loosen and make the polenta smooth again. Place the pan over medium-high heat, whisking occasionally, adjusting the heat to keep it at a low simmer. Continue cooking and stirring until mixture thickens, about 3-4 minutes or so.
• Decrease the heat to low, cover and cook for an additional 10-12 minutes. Every few minutes, stir and scrape the bottom of the pot vigorously while maintaining a simmer.
• If you want a less firm polenta, add a little more liquid to the pan at the end of the cooking time.

 

You’ll find the recipe card for Overnight Thyme Parmesan Polenta at the bottom of this post.

 

WEEKDAY GOURMAND’S MEAL PLANNER – Gourmet Meals Every Night of the Week

This fabulous and fast polenta is served on the fourth night of my World Tour Week’s menu.  I’ve paired it with a fabulous Weeknight Beef Bourguignon recipe that you cook,  from start to finish in less than an hour!  How’s that for a weeknight dinner hack?

The meal is rounded out with a delightful side dish of Haricots Verts with Pancetta Shallot Butter for a fabulous trip to Paris on a lovely Thursday evening!

 

 

WHAT’S ON THE MENU FOR YOUR LEFTOVER OVERNIGHT THYME PARMESAN POLENTA?

Once Thursday’s dinner is over, you’ll be smoothing your “planned” leftover polenta into a rimmed baking pan.

It will be kept tightly covered in the refrigerator until you need it for Sunday’s supper.  

On Sunday, you’ll get your pan of firm polenta out of the refrigerator, along with a whole host of fresh vegetables!

You’re making Roman Gnocchi with Mediterranean Vegetable Sauce for a delicious vegetarian meal to end your week of Weekday Gourmand menus. 

The sauce is chock-full of grape tomatoes, red onion, artichokes and olives with a splash of balsamic vinegar. 

It’s perfect atop the crispy parmesan crusted Roman Gnocchi!

 

ROMAN GNOCCHI WITH MEDITERRANEAN VEGETABLE SAUCE

Make Overnight Thyme Parmesan Polenta once. Then use the leftovers for a second “Weekday Gourmand” meal of Roman Gnocchi with Mediterranean Vegetable Sauce.  Leftovers never tasted so good!

What’s the accompanying side dish for this delightful Italian entree? 

I‘ll share the picture for Green Apple and Arugula Salad with Blue Cheese and Sugared Walnuts a little later in this post.   

Keep reading to see what’s on the rest of the World Tour Week’s menu.  If you’re serious about eating fabulous dinners all week long, then you’ll love my Weekday Gourmand’s Meal Planner Series.

 

WEEKDAY GOURMAND’S MEAL PLANNER

I’m thrilled to introduce you to a new series I’ll be featuring here at Ingredients For A Fabulous Life.  The Weekday Gourmand’s Meal Planner features 7 days of gourmet dinner menus, not just one recipe per day.

Periodically I’ll add a new week of fresh and creative gourmet menus and recipes for you to try at home.  I think you’ll love the “Weekday Gourmand” meal planning concept I’ve come up with for you.

Not only do you eat fabulous meals every night, my menu plans are created to use up all your ingredients too!  Yes, you’ll need some pancetta for WEEKNIGHT BEEF BOURGUIGNON and HARICOTS VERTS WITH SHALLOT- PANCETTA BUTTER on Thursday. 

But you’ll use up the rest making CRISPY PANCETTA RICE CAKES WITH TOMATO BASIL RELISH the very next day.  It’s just that simple!

 

Check out the entire Weekday Gourmand’s Meal Planner “WORLD TOUR WEEK” menus:

• MONDAY – Char Siu Chinese BBQ Pork, Rice w/Green Onions & Almonds, Roasted Asian Broccoli
• TUESDAY – Mushroom Butternut Barley Risotto, Pineapple Spears with Salted Caramel Sauce & Toasted Almonds
• WEDNESDAY – Steamed Chinese BBQ Pork Bao Buns or Pan-Fried Chinese BBQ Pork Dumplings, Simple Asian Slaw
• THURSDAY – Weeknight Beef Bourguignon, Overnight Thyme-Parmesan Polenta and Haricots Verts with Pancetta-Shallot Butter
• FRIDAY – Crispy Pancetta Rice Cakes with Tomato-Basil Relish, Cranberry Caramel Baked Apples
• SATURDAY – Beef Bourguignon Barley Soup, Blue Cheese Toasts
• SUNDAY – Roman Gnocchi with Mediterranean Vegetable Sauce, Green Apple & Arugula Salad with Blue Cheese and Sugared Walnuts

 

 

ARE YOU READY FOR A FAB WEEK OF GOURMET MEALS?

So, now you’ve got an arsenal filled with 15 fabulous weeknight gourmet recipes.  That’s great, but how do you work the “menu plan” itself?

I created my printable Weekday Gourmand’s 9 Page Meal Planner to help you execute the entire week’s menus.  Here’s what it contains, and how it will help you have a stress-free week of gourmet meals.  I’ve done all the thinking, planning and calculating for the whole week’s menu, so you won’t have to.  

• “World Tour Week” Menu with Reused Ingredient Notations
• Grocery Shopping Checklist with quantities noted
• Post-Grocery Shopping Meal Prep Tasks to keep weeknights simple
• Daily Meal Prep List
• “Next Day’s Meal” Tasks to give you a head start on tomorrow’s dinner
• Meal Planner Worksheet for you to make notes and help plan your week
• Custom “Weekday Gourmand” 5″ x 7″ blank recipe cards because I love my readers!

 

WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?

Want to read more about the “WEEKDAY GOURMAND MEAL PLANNER?   FOR THE WHOLE SCOOP AND ALL THE RELATED RECIPES CLICK HERE:

WEEKDAY GOURMAND’S MENU PLANNER AND WORLD TOUR WEEK MENUS

 

YOU’RE NOT ON THE LIST YET?  Why not join in on the fun!

There’s always something fabulous happening here at Ingredients For A Fabulous Life, you don’t want to miss out, do you?  

Join the IFAFL Email Subscriber List to get instant access to the IFAFL Resource Library and receive our twice-weekly emails.  Just fill out the form below and you’ll have exclusive access to all the FREE DIGITAL DOWNLOADS.

Come join the gang in our Facebook group and get in on the gabfest at, The Fab Life!  That’s where we show off our triumphs and share our pursuit of “the good life” with each other all week long.  

 

 

Overnight Thyme Parmesan Polenta

Yield: 8 Servings

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Additional Time: 12 hours

Total Time: 12 hours 30 minutes

Creamy, hearty gourmet "peasant food" that's a flavorful base for fabulous Beef Bourguignon, Duck Ragu or just perfectly plain! Start it the night before to make it a fast weeknight sensation any time you want polenta!

Print

Ingredients

• 2 cups polenta, medium-grind (not quick cooking)
• 3 cups boiling water
• 2 3/4 cups vegetable broth, chicken broth or water, or more as needed
• 1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
• 3 Tbsp. unsalted butter
• 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan, plus more for garnishing
• 1 Tbsp. fresh thyme leaves, plus more for garnishing if desired
• 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 1 egg yolk, beaten

Instructions

1. At least 12 hours before cooking, add the polenta to a large stockpot or saucepan and whisk in the boiling water. Cover and let sit at room temperature for up to 12 hours. SEE NOTES
2. COOKING THE POLENTA - Add the broth and salt to the pot and whisk to loosen and make the polenta smooth again. Place the pan over medium-high heat, whisking occasionally, adjusting the heat to keep it at a low simmer. Continue cooking and stirring until mixture thickens, about 3-4 minutes or so.
3. Decrease the heat to low, cover and cook for an additional 10-12 minutes. Every few minutes, stir and scrape the bottom of the pot vigorously while maintaining a simmer.
4. If you want a less firm polenta, add a little more liquid and continue cooking a minute or two longer.
5. Remove from heat and stir in butter, Parmesan, thyme and pepper. Stir in egg yolk and taste, adjusting salt and pepper to your liking. Garnish with fresh thyme leaves.
6. Serve with additional Parmesan at the table.

Notes

OVERNIGHT INSTRUCTIONS: Prep polenta as instructed before bed the night before you want to serve it. In the morning, place the polenta in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Bring the polenta back to room temperature before continuing with recipe.

Nutrition Information

Yield 8 Serving Size 1
Amount Per Serving Calories 154Total Fat 11gSaturated Fat 6gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 4gCholesterol 53mgSodium 1197mgCarbohydrates 8gFiber 1gSugar 1gProtein 6g

Calorie and fat count will vary with portion size.