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Tasty Little Pizza Appetizer Rounds
These Gluten Free Polenta Pizza Bites are just the right size for finger appetizers. Custom make these small pizzas with any toppings. You can pre-bake these corn rounds ahead of time and have your guest create their own desired mini pizzas. Pop them in the oven bake for 10 minutes and they are ready. Depending on the length of time you pre-bake them they can be baked soft or crispy.
A Little History On Polenta
Of course most people know that corn was introduced to the Europeans by Colombus and very much loved. Polenta is a created dish from ground course corn from the Native Americans. However the ease, low cost and neutral taste of the creamy corn meal took on a pleasing appetite by the Italians who embraced it into their fine cuisine. This through time became a staple Italian food with an array of recipes.
Here in America we call it polenta or corn grits. Polenta is mostly yellow in color and made from corn. Corn grits on the other hand can be whitish in color because it is made from dried corn or hominy. This is also known as maize that has been treated with an alkali process called nixtamalization (in which the corn is soaked and cooked in limewater). In this creation of corn grits they remove the wall of the hominy creating a whitish corn.
If you are new to trying polenta or grits please give it a try. Look for more Italian recipes like these Gluten Free Polenta Pizza Bites. I am sure you will love it. Enjoy!
Pizza Toppings And Spices For Gluten Free Polenta Pizza Bites
There are so many pizza toppings to pick from. It is hard to say what goes best on a pizza. The combination seems almost endless. I say each to their own. With these little bite sized polenta bites you can do just that.
Before adding any of your toppings make sure to add a little salt, garlic powder and dried basil on top of the pizza sauce. If you are just making a cheese pizza this adds that extra zip to your bite of pizza. Plus, if you want a little smoky flavor add a small sprinkle of smoked paprika. This is similar to a pepperoni taste without the meat.
I love putting as many veggies as I can on to these small pizza morsels but it’s hard because they are so small. I enjoy black olives, green olives, Greek olives, broccoli, mushrooms, peppers of all kinds, onions, garlic, fresh tomatoes, artichokes, marinated artichokes, sun-dried tomatoes, pesto, red pepper flakes and unthawed squeezed frozen spinach. These are also great to make as a type of garlic bread for dinner. Just add the pizza sauce, sliced garlic, salt and basil and cheese of choice.
Cheeses are another deep addition of extra tasty flavoring. You may come up with your own variety of cheese choices. That is up to you. See what you come up with and have fun making these Gluten Free Polenta Pizza Bites.
How To Make Gluten Free Polenta Pizza Bites
These polenta pizza bites are so easy to make. The real amount of work is just waiting for them to bake. You can prep all the toppings while these cook. You can put them on and make these little pizzas yourself or put your toppings aside and have your guest make their own choice for toppings.
First I preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Then cut the log of premade polenta into 1 cm. thick (like the photo below). Make sure to use a very sharp large knife. I use Ninja Knives. I love how sharp they are and how they make a nice even cut.
Spray a sheet pan with olive oil or 1 Tbsp of olive oil. Spread the cut polenta circles evenly on the sheet.
Bake the polenta bites for 20 minutes for crispy, 15 minutes for just right and 12 minutes for soft. Turn them over and bake on the other side for your desired time for polenta pizza crust.
Take out of the oven and add your toppings. Bake for another 8 to 10 minutes. Serve hot.
I hope you like these delicious fun Gluten Free Polenta Pizza Bites as much as we do. Enjoy!
More Recipes you May Like:
Vegan Creamy Garlic White Bean Bruschetta
Easy Vegan Tarragon And Dill Chicken Salad
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Gluten Free Polenta Pizza Bites
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
- Yield: 10 to 12 servings 1x
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: Italian
- Diet: Vegan
Description
These Gluten Free Polenta Pizza Bites are just the right size for finger appetizers. Custom make these small pizzas with any toppings. You can pre-bake these corn rounds ahead of time and have your guest create their own desired mini pizzas. Pop them in the oven bake for 8 to 10 minutes and they are ready. Depending on the length of time you pre bake them they can be baked soft or crispy. Enjoy!
Ingredients
Gluten Free Polenta Pizza Bites
- 1 Pre-Cooked Gluten Free Organic Tube of Polenta
- 1 jar Organic Pizza Sauce
- 1 bag of shredded Mozzarella Cheese ( I use vegan Violife Mozzarella Shreds)
- Garlic Powder or fresh sliced Garlic
- Dried Basil (optional)
- Salt
- Toppings of choice
Instructions
Gluten Free Polenta Pizza Bites
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- Remove the plastic from the polenta. Cut polenta slices from pre-cooked polenta tube. Cut polenta 1 cm. thick like the photo above. Use a sharp large knive to make it an even cut. I use a Ninja Knife for this.
- Spray olive oil on a non stick sheet pan or use 1 Tbsp of olive oil.
- Place the polenta cut circles on the oiled sheet.
- Bake for 20 minutes for crispy, bake for 15 for just right, bake for 12 for a softer of a crust. When done flip over and bake again for the same amount of desired baking time.
- Take out of the oven and add your toppings.
- Bake again for 8 to 10 minutes. Serve hot!
- Enjoy!
Notes
Store in a container with a cover in the refrigerator.
Great to make with just sliced fresh garlic, dried basil, salt and cheese for a great make shift side of gluten free garlic bread pizza.
