Goat Cheese Polenta Bites

Last weekend was the Super Bowl, also known as "the only day of the year that I actually watch football and use that as an excuse to eat everything in sight." I was perusing my favorite blogs for a good appetizer to bring to my Super Bowl party & came across this delicious appetizer from The Kitchn. Because I was in such a hurry to get them over to the party, I forgot to take "finished" photos, but they looked as awesome as they tasted. This recipe makes 16 bite-size servings.

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes + one-hour of chilling

Look at that gorgeous
goat cheese

Ingredients
One (1) tablespoon unsalted butter
1 3/4 cups of water
One (1) cup of milk -- I used almond milk
3/4 cup coarse corn grits-- not instant
1/3 cup of soft goat cheese
Three (3) tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup of Italian bread crumbs
Two (2) tablespoons of dried herbs that you'd like to use -- I used rosemary and parsley
Salt & pepper to taste


Directions
Butter an 8x8" pan and set aside.
In a saucepan, bring the water and milk to a boil.
Once it begins to boil, reduce heat to low and stir in the cornmeal with a generous pinch of salt and pepper.

Cook uncovered for about 25 minutes, or until the polenta is thickened.
Once the polenta is thick, stir in the goat cheese and herbs until they are completely mixed into the polenta.

Remove the polenta mixture from the stove and spoon evenly into your buttered pan.
Place in the fridge for at least one hour.
Once the polenta has set, slice into 16 small squares.
Press each square into the bread crumbs until completely coated.

Heat the olive oil in a pan and pan fry each polenta square.
Once each square is golden brown, remove from heat and place on a paper towel to soak up excess oil.
Serve while they're still warm, with a sauce, topped with arugula, a dollop of additional goat cheese, or simply on their own!