Baked Polenta Cups with Tomato Filling

Crispy polenta cups filled with fresh tomato, salami, and crème fraîche. A great make-ahead appetizer for parties and buffets.

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 10

Rest time 1

Total Time 1 20

Heat the water, milk, and vegetable stock in a saucepan
2 cups water, 1 cup whole milk, ⅔ cup vegetable stock
Once boiling, stir in the polenta and cook over low heat for about 5 minutes, stirring often, until thick.
1½ cup dry polenta
Stir in the Parmesan and butter.
¾ cup Parmesan cheese, 2 tablespoons butter
Grease a muffin pan well with butter.
l. Spoon the warm polenta into the cups and press the center of each one with a small glass to form a cup shape.
Chill for 1 hour in the fridge.
Preheat the oven to 480 °F.
Remove the polenta cups from the pan, place them on a baking sheet or grill pan, brush lightly with oil, and bake for 10 minutes.

While the cups bake, mix the tomatoes, onion, chili pepper, salami, parsley, and lime juice. Let the filling sit for 15 minutes.
2 tomatoes, 1 small onion, 1 red chili pepper, 1 oz. salami, 2 teaspoons Fresh Parsley, 1 tablespoon lime juice

Fill the warm polenta cups with the tomato mixture, top with crème fraîche, and garnish with parsley. Serve right away.
1 cup crème fraîche, Fresh Parsley

1. Can I make the cups ahead? Yes. Shape and chill them ahead, then bake and fill closer to serving.

2. Why do the cups need to chill? That helps the polenta firm up so it holds its shape better.

3. Can I leave out the salami? Yes, though the filling will taste a little less savory.

4. Do I need to serve them right away? For the best texture, yes. Fill them close to serving.

5. Storage

Refrigerator: Store the baked polenta cups and the tomato filling separately in airtight containers in the fridge.
Reheat the cups in the oven, then fill and top before serving.
Freezing is not recommended.

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