Creamy Pumpkin Polenta

Total Time: 35 mins Preparation Time: 15 mins Cook Time: 20 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 6
• 5 cups chicken stock (have an additional couple of cups of boiling liquid handy) or 5 cups vegetable stock (have an additional couple of cups of boiling liquid handy)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/3 cups cornmeal
• 3/4 cup cooked pumpkin (or canned)
• 1/2 cup neufchatel cheese (cut into small pieces)
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

Recipe

• 1 bring water or stock and salt to boil. reduce heat to a simmer.
• 2 stir in pumpkin.
• 3 slowly pour in corn meal while continuously stirring.
• 4 an easy way of doing this is to pick up handfuls of cornmeal and let it run through your fingers in a very slow stream. never stop stirring.
• 5 if mixture gets too thick and impossible to stir, add more boiling liquid.
• 6 once cornmeal has been added, stir in the small pieces of cream cheese (a little at a time) until cheese is completely melted and incorporated into the mixture.
• 7 continue cooking and stirring for about twenty minutes.
• 8 if you don't cook the polenta long enough, you won't achieve the proper creamy consistency.
• 9 continue to add additional liquid as necessary.
• 10 the proper consistency should be that of a thick cream of wheat cereal.
• 11 your spoon should be able to stand straight up when stuck in the middle and the mixture should pull away from the sides of the pot.
• 12 serve with pat of butter and enjoy!