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Dinner Pork Romanian
4.6 from 18 votes

Traditional Romanian Polenta (Mamaliga cu Branza in Paturi)

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By: Joanna Cismaru •12/14/22 16 Comments

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pin for traditional romanian polenta.

This Traditional Romanian Polenta with Feta Cheese, Bacon and Sausage known as “Mamaliga cu Branza in Paturi” is a dish I’ve grown up with and am very fond of. It’s hearty, delicious and satisfying.

Side shot of a Traditional Romanian Polenta with Feta Cheese, Bacon and Sausage known as "Mamaliga cu Branza in Paturi"
Table of Contents Open
  • What is Polenta?
  • Ingredients You’ll Need
  • How To Make Romanian Polenta
  • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Why is my polenta watery?
    • Can I add a different type of cheese?
    • Can I make my polenta without the sausage and bacon?
  • Storage
  • More Delicious Recipes To Try
  • Traditional Romanian Polenta with Feta Cheese and Bacon
    • Ingredients
    • Instructions
    • Notes
    • Nutrition Information
  • Did You Make This?

You can’t get anymore traditional than this when it comes to Romanian cuisine. I learned to make this from my mother who learned from my grandma and so on. Now I used bacon and some smoked sausage in this polenta, but you can keep it meatless and you’ve got yourself a vegetarian meal. In Romania this dish is sometimes known as peasant food and the polenta is often cooked in large copper pots or iron skillets.

What is Polenta?

Polenta is a traditional European dish, used for its versatility to combine various ingredients as a side dish or even a full on meal.

Polenta is usually made with water and cornmeal. It’s very simple to make a basic Polenta. In Romanian cuisine, “mamaliga” is enjoyed as a bread substitute most of the time, but as I mentioned above there are many ways in which it can be eaten.

Italians on the other hand make it a bit differently, instead of water they cook it with milk or cream and they add Parmesan to it. I’m using in this recipe a basic Polenta to have a nice, easy to make base for this traditional Romanian dish.

Ingredients You’ll Need

  • Cornmeal: I like to use the extra fine cornmeal to get a smooth texture in the polenta.
  • Meat: I use here a mix of bacon strips and smoked sausage to get that added rustic flavor to the whole dish.
  • Cheese: Feta cheese is definitely my favorite to use for both it’s consistency and the salty flavor it offers to the whole polenta dish.
Wide shot of traditional Romanian Polenta with Feta Cheese, Bacon and Sausage known as "Mamaliga cu Branza in Paturi"

How To Make Romanian Polenta

  1. Boil the water with salt. Once water is boiling, reduce heat to low and add the cornmeal, while stirring constantly. Keep stirring, you will notice the polenta will thicken.
  2. Cook the polenta for about 20 to 30 min, stirring occasionally. 
  3. Preheat oven to 400 F degrees.
  4. In a 9 x 13 in baking dish, spread half of the polenta using some of the remaining bacon fat. Sprinkle with half of the feta cheese. Add all the sausage and half of the bacon.
  5. Repeat with another layer using the remaining polenta. Add the remaining cheese and top off with the remaining bacon.
  6. Bake for about 10 min.
  7. Serve warm.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is my polenta watery?

You may have just added too much liquid for the amount of grains you had. I wouldn’t recommend adding more grains after the fact. Your best bet would have been to put the grits/polenta on low heat until it thickened up.

Can I add a different type of cheese?

While your best bet is feta cheese, you can definitely experiment with other types of cheeses such as cream cheese and grated parmesan.

Can I make my polenta without the sausage and bacon?

Yes, you can definitely keep your polenta meatless.

Storage

Store leftover polenta in an airtight container or wrapped in aluminum foil or plastic wrap in the fridge for up to 5 days.

More Delicious Recipes To Try

  • Creamy Polenta with Grilled Steak and Roasted Tomatoes
  • Saucy Chicken and Sausage over Creamy Parmesan Polenta
  • Creamy Polenta
  • Braised Beef Short Ribs
  • Walnut Roll (Cozonac cu Nuca)

Before You Begin! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.

a bowl of romanian polenta
Print
4.56 from 18 votes

Traditional Romanian Polenta with Feta Cheese and Bacon

Prep 15 minutes
Cook 40 minutes
Total 55 minutes
Rate Recipe
This Traditional Romanian Polenta with Feta Cheese, Bacon and Sausage known as "Mamaliga cu Branza in Paturi" is a dish I've grown up with and am very fond of. It's hearty, delicious and satisfying.
6

Ingredients

  • 5 slices bacon (fried and chopped)
  • 8 ounce smoked sausage (sliced and fried)
  • 2 cups cornmeal
  • 8 cups water
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 3 cups feta cheese (shredded or crumbled)

Before You Begin! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.

Instructions 

  • Boil the water with salt. Once water is boiling, reduce heat to low and add the cornmeal, while stirring constantly. Keep stirring, you will notice the polenta will thicken.
  • Cook the polenta for about 20 to 30 min, stirring occasionally. 
  • Preheat oven to 400 F degrees.
  • In a 9 x 13 in baking dish, spread half of the polenta using some of the remaining bacon fat. Sprinkle with half of the feta cheese. Add all the sausage and half of the bacon.
  • Repeat with another layer using the remaining polenta. Add the remaining cheese and top off with the remaining bacon.
  • Bake for about 10 min.
  • Serve warm.

Notes

Please keep in mind that nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on products used.

Nutrition Information

Serving: 1serCalories: 591kcal (30%)Carbohydrates: 42g (14%)Protein: 22g (44%)Fat: 36g (55%)Saturated Fat: 17g (106%)Cholesterol: 105mg (35%)Sodium: 1685mg (73%)Potassium: 324mg (9%)Fiber: 4g (17%)Sugar: 3g (3%)Vitamin A: 315IU (6%)Calcium: 386mg (39%)Iron: 2.5mg (14%)
© Author Joanna Cismaru

Notice: Nutrition is auto-calculated for your convenience. Where relevant, we recommend using your own nutrition calculations.

a bowl of romanian polenta

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Joanna Cismaru

Joanna Cismaru

I’m Joanna (Jo for short) and this is my blog where I share with you my culinary adventures. Here you will find a variety of recipes using simple everyday ingredients and creating wonderful, delicious and comforting meals, including some decadent desserts.

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16 Comments
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Monica
Monica
Posted: 1 year ago

5 stars
Jo, you must be “ardeleanca”! This is the recipe that is typical for that region. My mom is born and raised in Tirgu Mures, I grew up there. And this is my husband’s “birthday cake”! Oh, and he is american… What is that saying? Dragostea trece prin stomac (love goes through the stomach – how romantic!) ?

0
Reply
Joanna Cismaru
Joanna Cismaru
Author
Reply to  Monica
Posted: 1 year ago

My mom always uses that saying. Yep, I was born in Cluj and my dad is from there. My mom’s been making this for as long as I can remember. 🙂

0
Reply
Michael Fortune
Michael Fortune
Posted: 1 year ago

how come it show the sausage on top but the instruction has the cheese and bacon on top?

0
Reply
Jo Cooks Team AMJ
Jo Cooks Team AMJ
Reply to  Michael Fortune
Posted: 1 year ago

Hi Michael,

You can add the sausage and bacon either as a topping or in between the layers. Depends on the preference. Let us know how it turns out for you!

0
Reply
Monica
Monica
Reply to  Michael Fortune
Posted: 1 year ago

5 stars
If you add an egg (sunny side up ? Ou ochi) and the bacon and cheese it is often called “bulz” and it was a typical meal of shepherds. Try and enjoy!

0
Reply
Brenda
Brenda
Posted: 4 years ago

5 stars
Best polenta recipe!

0
Reply
Lakshmi Balakrishnan
Lakshmi Balakrishnan
Posted: 5 years ago

5 stars
I tried this, it was really good!

0
Reply
Mihaela Lahav
Mihaela Lahav
Posted: 5 years ago

5 stars
What kind of sausage did you use? In Romania they are using for this recipe homemade sausages but here, in Toronto, I cannot find any or at least similar to those.

0
Reply
Joanna Cismaru
Joanna Cismaru
Author
Reply to  Mihaela Lahav
Posted: 5 years ago

I used a smoked dry sausage, my mom buys it from a Polish store, but any smoked sausage would work.

0
Reply
Lilly
Lilly
Posted: 7 years ago

5 stars
Salut! Nu am stiut ca este romanca!! Cand am fost o fata mica tati imi va face acest lucru și îl numesc “mamaliga Patru stele”. Eu vorbesc mai bine decate romana scruI ca am fost noscut in america, imi pare ran daca est greu DE citit. Now I am going to go follow you on pinterest!

0
Reply
Joanna Cismaru
Joanna Cismaru
Author
Reply to  Lilly
Posted: 7 years ago

Multumesc! Nu am auzit niciodata ca ii spunde mamalinga patru stele. Sper sa incerci sa o faci, foarte buna. 🙂

0
Reply
Roxy
Roxy
Posted: 9 years ago

Vaaaai, ce pofta mi-e. Eu mai adaug la reteta asta si putina smantana si un strat de ciupercute sotate. Si daca vreau sa fie si mai si, deasupra fac 2 gropite si sparg doua oua. Yummmmm

0
Reply
Joanna Cismaru
Joanna Cismaru
Author
Reply to  Roxy
Posted: 9 years ago

Lol, si eu mai adaug din cand in cand smantana, dar niciodata nu m-am gandit la ciupercute. 🙂 Must try!

0
Reply
Doina
Doina
Reply to  Joanna Cismaru
Posted: 5 years ago

5 stars
Eu fac asta dar eu fierb ouale moi si mai fac un mujdei de usturoi oh ce minune…copii mei sint nascuti in US dar asta e o mincare pe care nu o refuza,
well… ie nu refuza mamaliga niciodata…

0
Reply
Joanna Cismaru
Joanna Cismaru
Author
Reply to  Doina
Posted: 5 years ago

Nici eu, foarte buna! 🙂

0
Reply
Monica
Monica
Reply to  Roxy
Posted: 1 year ago

In Areal “nu se poate” (citez pe mama) supa/ciorba de salata fara mamaliga-n straturi. Am gresit sa fac numa’ supa…si asa mi-a zis “draga mea, asta sa nu mai faci niciodata, ca nu sepoate!”.
Mincaruri bune, amintiri frumoase si sarbatori in liniste in tot anul!

0
Reply

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Hey there!

I’m Joanna (Jo for short) and this is my blog where I share with you my culinary adventures. Here you will find a variety of recipes using simple everyday ingredients and creating wonderful, delicious and comforting meals, including some decadent desserts.

Read More
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