Traditional Romanian Polenta (Mamaliga cu Branza in Paturi)
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This Traditional Romanian Polenta with Feta Cheese, Bacon and Sausage known as “Mamaliga cu Branza in Paturi” is a dish I’ve grown up with and am very fond of. It’s hearty, delicious and satisfying.
You can’t get anymore traditional than this when it comes to Romanian cuisine. I learned to make this from my mother who learned from my grandma and so on. Now I used bacon and some smoked sausage in this polenta, but you can keep it meatless and you’ve got yourself a vegetarian meal. In Romania this dish is sometimes known as peasant food and the polenta is often cooked in large copper pots or iron skillets.
What is Polenta?
Polenta is a traditional European dish, used for its versatility to combine various ingredients as a side dish or even a full on meal.
Polenta is usually made with water and cornmeal. It’s very simple to make a basic Polenta. In Romanian cuisine, “mamaliga” is enjoyed as a bread substitute most of the time, but as I mentioned above there are many ways in which it can be eaten.
Italians on the other hand make it a bit differently, instead of water they cook it with milk or cream and they add Parmesan to it. I’m using in this recipe a basic Polenta to have a nice, easy to make base for this traditional Romanian dish.
- Cornmeal: I like to use the extra fine cornmeal to get a smooth texture in the polenta.
- Meat: I use here a mix of bacon strips and smoked sausage to get that added rustic flavor to the whole dish.
- Cheese: Feta cheese is definitely my favorite to use for both it’s consistency and the salty flavor it offers to the whole polenta dish.
- Boil the water with salt. Once water is boiling, reduce heat to low and add the cornmeal, while stirring constantly. Keep stirring, you will notice the polenta will thicken.
- Cook the polenta for about 20 to 30 min, stirring occasionally.
- Preheat oven to 400 F degrees.
- In a 9 x 13 in baking dish, spread half of the polenta using some of the remaining bacon fat. Sprinkle with half of the feta cheese. Add all the sausage and half of the bacon.
- Repeat with another layer using the remaining polenta. Add the remaining cheese and top off with the remaining bacon.
- Bake for about 10 min.
- Serve warm.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is my polenta watery?
You may have just added too much liquid for the amount of grains you had. I wouldn’t recommend adding more grains after the fact. Your best bet would have been to put the grits/polenta on low heat until it thickened up.
Can I add a different type of cheese?
While your best bet is feta cheese, you can definitely experiment with other types of cheeses such as cream cheese and grated parmesan.
Can I make my polenta without the sausage and bacon?
Yes, you can definitely keep your polenta meatless.
Storage
Store leftover polenta in an airtight container or wrapped in aluminum foil or plastic wrap in the fridge for up to 5 days.
More Delicious Recipes To Try
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Traditional Romanian Polenta with Feta Cheese and Bacon
Ingredients
- 5 slices bacon (fried and chopped)
- 8 ounce smoked sausage (sliced and fried)
- 2 cups cornmeal
- 8 cups water
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 cups feta cheese (shredded or crumbled)
Before You Begin! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.
Instructions
- Boil the water with salt. Once water is boiling, reduce heat to low and add the cornmeal, while stirring constantly. Keep stirring, you will notice the polenta will thicken.
- Cook the polenta for about 20 to 30 min, stirring occasionally.
- Preheat oven to 400 F degrees.
- In a 9 x 13 in baking dish, spread half of the polenta using some of the remaining bacon fat. Sprinkle with half of the feta cheese. Add all the sausage and half of the bacon.
- Repeat with another layer using the remaining polenta. Add the remaining cheese and top off with the remaining bacon.
- Bake for about 10 min.
- Serve warm.
Nutrition Information
Notice: Nutrition is auto-calculated for your convenience. Where relevant, we recommend using your own nutrition calculations.
