Jalapeño Popper Polenta - Cheesy Polenta Recipe (2024)

This JalapeñoPopper Polenta is the perfect spicy side dish for any meal! If you like spice, you are going to fall in love with this creamy polenta recipe!

Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Smithfield® Marinated Fresh Pork. The opinions and text are all mine.#RealFlavorRealFast @SmithfieldBrand

Grilling season is here! I am overjoyedfor a few reasons:

• It’s so nice to be outside- the kids can play while I throw things on the grill and relax with a co*cktail.
• The amount of dishes that I have to do drops by about 75%.
• It’s so easy tomake your food flavorful- I do things so much differently than when I cook inside.

My favorite way to flavor food through the grill is through a rub or a marinade. There is just one problem with this- I am frequently flying by the seat of my pants, and rarely have the wherewithal to remember to start something marinating the night before (too tired) or in the morning (kids outrank me on the energy scale). This is unfortunate, because it’s the single best way to impart flavor and juiciness all through your meat.

Enter Smithfield, and their line of Smithfield Marinated Fresh Pork. These are marinated and seasoned right in the packaging, so all you have to do is open the package and throw on the grill. Tender, juicy and no forethought required on my behalf!

I used the Slow Smoked Mesquite Flavor Fresh Pork Loin Filet (available at Kroger stores), and made thisJalapeñoPopper Polenta to pair with the smoky flavor of the pork loin. One of the things I love about polenta is that it cooks up unbelievably fast- you can have this done in under 10 minutes. The other great thing about it? It’s basically the definition of a “blank slate.” While it’s good as is (it’s my go-to pairing for braised short ribs), I love turning it into something else entirely by adding different mix-ins, like my Smoked Gouda Polenta. In this case, I added diced fresh jalapeños and a few handfuls of cheddar cheese to this, along with some cream cheese for added creaminess, to emulate the taste of the popular appetizer in a quick side dish.

If you like extra spice:

To add an extra kick to it (although for my wimpy tastes, this had plenty of heat), I coated some sliced jalapeños in some of the polenta meal and fried them up for a kicking topping.

The meal turned out great. I used my bluetooth meat thermometer to grill the pork loin to 155degreesF, rotating it every 5 minutes or so, then pulled it off the grill and let it continue to come up to 160degreesF on my cutting board while it rested. I am super careful when it comes to cooking pork not to overcook it, since pork dries out in about a half a second within it being at the right temperature. The pork turned out crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside and packed full of smoky flavor. Everyone loved it, and it paired super well with the spicy and cheesy polenta.Smithfield deliversreal flavor, real fast every time!

You can get a coupon offer for $1 off any Smithfield Marinated product when you go to Checkout 51.

Tools needed to make this Jalapeño Popper Polenta:

• A nice [easyazon_link identifier=”B00008CM69″ locale=”US” tag=”gogogogo03-20″]saucepan[/easyazon_link] is great to have for this polenta recipe.
• It’s also great to have a [easyazon_link identifier=”B00006JSUA” locale=”US” tag=”gogogogo03-20″]cast iron skillet[/easyazon_link] to fry up the jalapenos nice and crispy!

If you liked this Jalapeño Popper Polenta recipe, check out these other jalapeño recipes:

• Easy Jalapeno Popper Dip
• Spicy Jalepeño Spinach Cheese Dip
• Easy Homemade Guacamole (Chipotle Style)
• Jalapeno Spinach Queso