Serve soft polenta, either plain or with herbs or cheese, as a side dish.

Use polenta as the base for vegetarian main dish, topped with sauce or a hearty vegetable ragoût.

Serve polenta instead of pasta or rice as an accompaniment to meat sauces, stews, or chilis.

Try soft-cooked polenta as a hot breakfast cereal, topped with fresh or dried fruit, nuts, cinnamon, and milk.

Use baked or grilled polenta rounds as a base for hors d’oeuvres or appetizers.

Use polenta to replace the biscuit or puff pastry topping on pot pies.