Homemade polenta is super easy and cheap to make at home. When you add some spices and top with marinara sauce, it tastes a lot like homemade pizza.

For some crazy reason, I had never made homemade polenta before. That’s definitely going to change, now that I know how cheap and easy it is to make at home.

I call this dish “pizza-style polenta” because it has a lot of pizza-esque qualities:

• There’s Parmesan cheese in the polenta.
• The dish is topped with marinara sauce.
• You can add additional pizza toppings like sausage, mushrooms or green peppers, if desired.

And the best part? This recipe makes a huge batch. More than you’ll need if you’re feeding a family of four. If you have extra polenta – which you probably will – reheat leftovers for lunch tomorrow.

This easy recipe is a part of my third $10 Food Day series. If you’re sticking to a $10 food budget, this recipe (and this series!) is for you. Here are the rest of the recipes:

• Breakfast: Banana-egg pancakes
• Lunch: Black bean soup with orange-jalapeño salsa
• Snack: Leftover pie crust cookies

The Cost

For polenta:

• Corn grits (polenta) = $.99
• Parmesan cheese = $.75
• Butter = $.27

Cost of polenta: $2.01

For marinara sauce:

• Can of crushed tomatoes = $.99
• Olive oil = $.05
• Spices = $.10

Cost of marinara sauce = $1.14

Total cost of recipe = $3.15

Does your family eat a lot of polenta? I would love to hear your recipe ideas, as polenta is kind of new to me. Please share your ideas below.

Here’s another polenta-based pizza recipe to try: Polenta pizza bites

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Pizza-Style Polenta

Yield: 6 to 8 servings

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

If desired, top the polenta with sausage, sauteed mushrooms or onions, or another pizza-appropriate topping.

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Ingredients

For polenta

• 6 cups water
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups corn grits (I used Bob's Red Mill brand)
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

• 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• Garlic powder, to taste

Instructions

• To make polenta: In a large saucepan, heat water and salt on high until boiling. Gradually add corn grits. Reduce heat to a simmer, stirring frequently. Cook for about 10 to 15 minutes, or until mixture becomes very thick. Remove from heat. Add butter and Parmesan cheese. Place polenta into a greased 9x9-inch round pan. Let set for 10 minutes. Invert pan onto a clean, flat surface to unmold. Cut polenta into individual pieces. Top with marinara sauce.
• To make marinara sauce: Place tomatoes, olive oil, sugar, and garlic powder into a saucepan. Place on stove and turn heat to medium-high. Bring to a simmer and cook for a couple of minutes to allow flavors to meld. Serve warm marinara sauce over sliced polenta.

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