Growing up in an Italian household, my Mom would make something that she called polenta pizza. I am not sure why they called it pizza but it must have something to do with the italian word for pizza because pizza it was not! It was more like a thick polenta with a delicious crust on the outside and a firm center. She always made it with minestra which is basically greens and beans. In recent years she has made it when my uncle would come to visit as a bread substitute since he has celiac and can’t eat wheat or gluten. As a kid, I did not like the greens and beans but I loved the polenta pizza. We would eat it with maple syrup making it more like a dessert.
Since doing the ALCAT plan, I have not been able to have corn, cornmeal or polenta but I can have millet, which when ground is pretty similar to cornmeal. So I decided to give millet pizza a try. What I love about this pizza is the crusty exterior! It is very simple to make and yet versatile and delicious. My family and I still love it smothered with real maple syrup.
To make the pizza, you need to have a cast iron skillet. Well, maybe not need, but I think the crust is best when cooked in a cast iron skillet. Basically you make a thick polenta or millet by cooking 1 cup ground millet or cornmeal with 2 cups water. Spray or grease your cast iron skillet with olive oil and then spread the millet or polenta in the skillet and spray or grease the top of the mixture as well. Bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for about 35 – 45 minutes, then flip the pizza to crust up the other side. Bake for an additional 20-30 minutes. I found the cooking time to be a little less with the millet than with the polenta. Serve warm!
When I made it the other night for dinner, I sautéed escarole with some sun-dried tomatoes and butternut squash and then added cannellini beans and served it on the side with the millet pizza. It was delicious.
For dessert we had millet pizza with maple syrup! It brought back some good childhood memories. Enjoy!
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