Side Dish: Pumpkin Sage Polenta

If your family is up for experimenting with new dishes on Thanksgiving (unlike mine), this pumpkin sage polenta would make a seasonal substitution for traditional mashed potatoes.

I've been going back through my archives of recipes I made in my pre-blogging days. That's the reason there is no photo to accompany this recipe.

Pumpkin Sage Polenta
Adapted from Cooking Light magazine

Ingredients

• 2 ½ cups low- or reduced-fat milk
• 2 cups water
• ¾ cup canned pumpkin purée
• 1 ¼ teaspoons sea salt
• 1 ¼ cups instant dry polenta
• ¾ cup (3 ounces) freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 tablespoons mascarpone cheese
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
• ¼ cup (1 ounce) shaved fresh Parmesan, for garnish

Directions

1. Bring milk and water to a boil in a large saucepan over medium heat. 
2. Add pumpkin and salt; stir with a whisk. 
3. Reduce heat to low, and gradually whisk in polenta; cook 1 min or until thick. Remove from heat. 
4. Add ¾ cup grated Parmesan, mascarpone cheese, and sage; stir until cheeses melt. 
5. Top with shaved Parmesan. Serve immediately.