Enter your email & we’ll send it to your inbox. Plus, get great new recipes from us every week! By submitting this form, you consent to receive emails from Hurry the Food Up. ‘Hmm, that’s… interesting.’. Followed by: ‘That’s quite nice actually, I’m starting to enjoy this. I like the way the sweet and savoury mix in naturally together’. And finished with: ‘Ar that was delicious! Do you have any more? Give me the pan!’. Gobble, gobble, lick, lick. Cornmeal porridge is an old-fashioned, lovingly-made breakfast that gets better with every bite. It’s sweet yet savoury, smooth yet slightly grainy. It’s a soft porridge bursting with tangy fruits. We love taking classic breakfasts and putting our own twists on them. Generally our twists involve making recipes quicker and more nutritious.
Our take on breakfast
While we would never argue with the Jamaican grandmas who’ve been making this porridge for years (their cinnamon and nutmeg spices are spot on), we will swap the condensed milk for another variety. Condensed milk is usually massively high in sugar, and honestly the cinnamon, vanilla and saucy fruits make the dish more than sweet enough. As much fun as early-morning sugar buzzes are, they’re not something we try to make a habit of. Call us boring but that’s the way we roll.
The best ingredients
We opt for oat milk in our cornmeal porridge, though coconut milk, soy, and even dairy work well (though we’d rather keep it vegan if it’s up to us). For toppings, our favourite by far is frozen fruits. They’re practical, easy to heat up and you can get your faves at any time of the year – they don’t need to be in-season. Plus, when you heat them up well they become really juicy and saucy, too. To be even more specific, my favourite frozen fruits are a red berry mix – raspberyy, strawberry and red/black currants, for example. Use whatever you like most – tinned fruits work as well. With regards to the cornmeal itself, (also known as polenta in some countries), you can get it in fine, medium or coarse varieties. All are fine for breakfast – we used medium.
How to make cornmeal porridge
It’s an easy recipe that doesn’t take much practice to make well. A couple of things to keep in mind – don’t let it burn – the milk means it heats up and boils really quickly. Turn the heat back to low as soon as you see bubbles in the porridge. I’ve also found a whisk is by far the greatest thing to stir the porridge with. A spoon or fork will do in a pinch, but if you’ve got a whisk, use it. And a final note – go easy on the nutmeg! A tiny pinch is plenty. The same goes for all of the spices – start small and add more if necessary. The flavours are delicate and add up quickly. Especially the nutmeg. And a final, final note – cornmeal porridge is also awesome as a dessert! Yep, we said it!
Still hungry?
You’re in luck! Right over here we’ve got 22 Protein-Packed Vegan Breakfasts. And just over this way are 22 Protein-Packed Vegetarian Breakfasts. You’re welcome.
