When it comes to home cooking, being in the kitchen should be all about having fun, enjoying your time, and embracing an opportunity to get creative and bring delicious food to life. When it comes to grocery shopping for said cooking, there are few more exciting places to go than always-reliable, always-fun, always-entertaining Trader Joe's. The employees are the cheeriest people you'll probably run into all day, the layout of the store is easy to navigate, and you can find a ton of leeway shopping on a budget.
Most importantly, Trader Joe's has mastered the art of intriguing the masses with constant quirky new product rollouts for different seasons and holidays, while bringing faithful shoppers back to routinely stock up on the good old staples they could never imagine leaving without. For years now in my household, one of those staples is Trader Joe's Organic Polenta. Whether you're enjoying a fabulous solo date night at home, preparing some snacks for your kids to dig into, or entertaining a group of the people you love most with a table full of comforting homemade food, this polenta is a versatile ingredient that brings tons of flavor, texture, and possibility to the table.
If you're unfamiliar with this delicious ingredient, it's definitely time we change that! Polenta is essentially ground yellow corn. In its dry form prior to cooking, polenta typically has a coarse texture, although it can be found sometimes in a more finely ground form. Once cooked, polenta is soft and creamy, like a corn porridge. Don't let polenta's simplicity fool you. It's absolutely wonderful, and there's a whole lot to love about TJ's Organic Polenta.
It's pre-cooked. Step 1: done. Polenta, while a simple dish, does typically require time and focus when cooking from scratch. It needs constant stirring and attention. If you're short on time or not in the mood for a laborious recipe, this polenta is already cooked and ready for its close-up. All you have to do is remove it from the packaging, slice it, and get cooking!
It costs only $1.99 per 18-ounce package. Flexibility while grocery shopping on a budget is never a bad thing. Stock up on a few packages of this polenta and challenge yourself to create a new dish with it once each week. Polenta is inexpensive, healthy, and vegetarian, making it ideal for batch cooking or food prepping ahead of time for the busy week.
It's gluten-free. Polenta is made from corn, making it a gluten-free ingredient that offers all the nurturing, heartiness, and satiety of comfort food dishes that often contain gluten, such as pasta or bread.
This product is shelf-stable and almost always available in-store. In every Trader Joe's location I've ever visited (yes, I pop into different locations when I travel to scope out the TJ scene), there is a shelf full of this polenta. I've only had a hard time finding it once, and it was during the pandemic when the world was up in arms. I love that I can always rely on this product to be accessible as I walk through the aisles of the nearest Trader Joe's. It's a total go-to when I'm brainstorming a weeknight meal and looking for a simple side dish to prepare, or when we're looking to snack on something at home on the weekends.
How to Use Trader Joe's Organic Polenta
When I first fell in love with this Trader Joe's product, it was the versatility that I admired most, which makes it so much fun to cook with! All you have to do is heat, slice, and serve, and how you prepare it is up to you. Polenta can take many forms. This precooked polenta comes in the form of a soft and chewy tube, making it perfect for slicing and grilling, pan or deep frying, baking, roasting, and even microwaving. It's especially ideal for making polenta fries.
These gorgeous golden polenta fries are crispy on the outside and tender and creamy on the inside. You can serve them solo, or with a quick three-ingredient dipping sauce as the perfect appetizer, side dish, or snack. Here's my go-to recipe for whenever I pick up Trader Joe's Organic Polenta (you watch me make it here):
Baked Parmesan Polenta Fries with Creamy Dipping Sauce
Ingredients
Fries:
1 (18-ounce) package pre-cooked polenta
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste
chopped fresh parsley, for garnish
Dipping Sauce:
2 tablespoons ketchup
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
Prepare the fries: Cut polenta in half, and then into 1-inch thick fries. Coat with olive oil, parmesan, salt, and pepper.
Cook in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, flip gently with tongs, and cook 30 more minutes until crisp and golden. Transfer to a plate, garnish with chopped parsley, and serve warm with dip (below).
While fries bake, make the dipping sauce: Mix ketchup, mayonnaise, and Worcestershire sauce together in a small bowl. Multiply as needed for additional dipping sauce.
Other Recipe Ideas That Call For Precooked Polenta
Vegan Arepas Made With Polenta
Cheesy Polenta Casserole
Baked Polenta Slices with Tomatoes and Yellow Squash
Italian Summer Squash Polenta Bake
Air Fryer Shrimp and Polenta
Grilled Polenta with Strawberries
Pan-fried Polenta with Corn, Kale, and Goat Cheese
The Bottom Line
Trader Joe's Organic Polenta is a budget-friendly, gluten-free, vegetarian, pre-cooked, ready-to-heat option perfect for appetizers, snacks, and side dishes. While this product doesn't have quite the texture that a freshly prepared bowl of creamy polenta may have, it cuts out a lot of the preparation work and has the comforting and hearty corn flavor of freshly cooked polenta. TJ's polenta invites you to have fun in the kitchen, providing a great deal of creative freedom for slicing, heating, and serving up a wide array of delicious polenta-centered dishes.
Trader Joe's employees put new products on the sales floor daily to ensure customers receive the highest quality groceries possible. However, if you hope to get your hands on the freshest possible produce and perishables, you may consider visiting Trader Joe's early in the day.
It's gluten-free. Polenta is made from corn, making it a gluten-free ingredient that offers all the nurturing, heartiness, and satiety of comfort food dishes that often contain gluten, such as pasta or bread.
Trader Joe's instant polenta is good here (prepared on the side), but I've had trouble finding it lately, so the Cacio e Pepe of Cauliflower Gnocchi will have to work instead (you can cook that in the same pan; I just cook the veg and sausage first, scrape into bowl, then sauté gnocchi and toss together when ready).
Cold polenta is firm, so you'll need to soften it with water, broth, or milk. Place the leftovers in a pot, breaking it up if necessary. Pour in a splash or two of water, broth, or milk. Reheat it gently on the stovetop, stirring with a whisk to break up lumps.
That's the first thing that's helpful to know: Polenta doesn't have to be made with a product that says "polenta" on the package. There's nothing wrong with using a product designed exclusively for polenta, but you can just as easily use any medium- or coarse-ground cornmeal.
Spoon steamed or cooked veggies over hot polenta. Add cheese, herbs or other favorite seasonings. Top polenta with your favorite pasta sauce. Add sautéed greens and protein of choice including meats, cheese, lentils and legumes.
What are the best days to shop at Trader Joe's? According to employees, the best days to shop there are Tuesdays and Wednesdays because they are the slowest days.
Experienced customers will share that the days to shop at TJ's are Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. All fresh fruits and vegetables arrive every morning and are restocked every day. The most popular items, which often include some non-refrigerated foods, are often gone by mid-afternoon.
Polenta is a healthful food choice with several nutritional benefits. Polenta may be good for health as it contains fiber and protein. It is also rich in complex carbohydrates, low in fat, and more. Polenta is cooked cornmeal that can be eaten as a side or used in a variety of recipes, from bread to desserts.
People with coeliac disease can safely eat many common plants, seeds, grains, cereals and flour, including corn, polenta, potatoes, rice and soya. However they should avoid barley, wheat, rye, couscous and semolina as they contain gluten.
Aside from this cultural distinction, there are two factors that differentiate grits from polenta: the type and texture of the corn. While grits can be made with yellow corn, white corn, or hominy, polenta is typically made with yellow corn. In terms of texture, ground corn can vary greatly in consistency.
Polenta is an Italian dish, whereas grits are a dish attributed to the American South. This being so, each region can accurately identify each, and it will be hard to pass off grits as polenta to an Italian cook and vice versa.
(That same misconception also accounts for the English name of America's traditional Thanksgiving bird!) Corn grew best in northern Italy, where served boiled, it became a staple for the poor. But more elaborate dishes arose too, and polenta topped with rich sauces became popular with the wealthy.
Cornmeal is made by grinding dried corn kernels – yellow, white or blue – into fine, medium and coarse textures, while polenta is made from a specific variety of corn called flint corn. Polenta also has a coarser texture than most types of cornmeal.
For the best experience, we always recommend consuming Polenta before the “best by” date. Though safe to consume beyond that date, the product quality may deteriorate. Please use your best judgment and do not eat if the product has visible mold or an off smell.
Polenta has a mild corn flavor. Its neutral flavor profile means it readily soaks up other flavors while cooking, such as chicken or vegetable broth, milk, butter or cheese.
What Is the Difference Between Polenta and Semolina? As polenta is made from corn, it's gluten-free.Semolina, on the other hand, is coarsely ground, high-gluten durum wheat used to make pasta, cakes, and breads. Photo by Getty Images.
Whether corn or buckwheat, this “poor man's” food typical of northern Italy cleanses the blood, tones the liver and even regenerates the muscles, but only by matching the right ingredients… nourishing, and in many cases would even create a sense of heaviness.
Polenta is done when texture is creamy and the individual grains are tender. Turn off heat and gently stir 2 tablespoons butter into polenta until butter partially melts; mix 1/2 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese into polenta until cheese has melted. Cover and let stand for 5 minutes to thicken.
Polenta is high in protein and fiber, but compared to rice, pasta, or potatoes, it's much lower in calories and fat, yet still provides a source of complex carbs that are much-needed for energy. So, why not to try polenta out for your next meal?
A Northern Italian staple, this humble Italian peasant food has emerged as a versatile fine-dining-style comfort food. Polenta can be made into layered terrines (in its solid form) or easy creamy porridges with Parmigiano-Reggiano and butter.
Polenta is a healthy gluten-free grain and good source of antioxidants that help protect your eyes and reduce your risk of certain chronic diseases. It shouldn't negatively affect your blood sugar levels as long as you stick to a reasonable portion size.
Experienced shoppers and store managers have shared that the best days of the week to shop at Trader Joe's are Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays. Weekends are extremely popular shopping days, and stock dwindles much quicker, even with restocks happening earlier in the day.
Typically they will order on Monday for what has sold over the weekend. They will then stock as product comes in Tues, Wed, Thurs. If all works well, the store will be restocked by Fri, ready for the weekend rush again.
What day of the week does Trader Joe's get flowers? The day your local Trader Joe's gets flowers may depend on your location and general demand for the blooms, but most TJ's typically get flower shipments every day.
This section—and the selection—will definitely vary depending on your local store, but each store restocks its flowers, greenery, and plants every single day.
Address: Suite 609 315 Lupita Unions, Ronnieburgh, MI 62697
Phone: +2424755286529
Job: District Education Designer
Hobby: Yoga, Gunsmithing, Singing, 3D printing, Nordic skating, Soapmaking, Juggling
Introduction: My name is Moshe Kshlerin, I am a gleaming, attractive, outstanding, pleasant, delightful, outstanding, famous person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
We notice you're using an ad blocker
Without advertising income, we can't keep making this site awesome for you.
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/ar-traderjoes-store-inside-4x3-896cf11d966045af8fdce0598369dbb9.jpg "The $2 Trader Joe's Dinner Staple I Stock up on Every Time I Go (1)")
