Millie Meal & Polenta Bread

This recipe is part of Take the Pantry and Freezer Challenge series on this blog, and I made this in Week 3 of the challenge.

This is a recipe I often make. It is fairly inexpensive if made plain but with additional variations (see below) it can cost you a bit more. We like the Millie meal and Polenta bread plain. We usually have it instead of regular bread with just about any serving of meat or vegetables. During the Pantry and Freezer Challenge we had it with Beef stew, for example. The Millie meal and Polenta Bread can also be enjoyed on its own, with a knob of butter spread on a warm slice of this delicious bread with a hot cuppa!

My husband’s favourite is to enjoy a slice of Millie meal and Polenta bread instead of plain toast with fried eggs and tomatoes for a hearty, absolutely delicious breakfast.

Ingredients:

3 eggs

½ mug Oil

½ mug Milk

500 ml. Buttermilk (or Maas or Plain Yoghurt)

4 small cups* Cake flour

3 small cups* Polenta

1 small cup* Millie Meal

2 Tsp. Baking powder

Spray ‘n’ Cook

*I use small espresso cups.

To make this recipe even cheaper, you can choose to use 4 small cups of Millie meal instead of a combination of 1 cup Millie meal and 3 cups of Polenta. We just prefer the soft, moist slice when made with a combination of the two so I’m willing to spend a tiny bit more when making this recipe.

I also find that using Buttermilk gives the Millie meal and Polenta bread a much creamier texture. Using Maas is the cheapest option though but to be honest, I use whichever one – Buttermilk, Maas or Plain Yoghurt – I actually have in the fridge at the time (there are no extra trips to the shops for just the Buttermilk!).

Method:

Place all ingredients in a large bowl. If you are using any variation ingredients (see below) add those at this time as well. Use an electric mixer to mix all ingredients well, about a minute or two.

Spray a 20x30cm pan with Spray ‘n’ Cook, pour the batter and bake at 180 C° for 40 minutes, or until the bread comes away from the sides. Remove the pan from the oven, cover with a cloth and allow to cool completely. The Millie Meal and Polenta bread can keep for a few days but leave it covered with a cloth which will help retain some of its moisture. It can be enjoyed cold or heated up for 30 seconds in the microwave if you like.

Variations:

You may choose to add any of the following to your batter before baking:

• 100gr. crumbled Feta cheese.
• A handful of chopped Olives and 1 Chouriço sausage.
• A cup of finely chopped, steamed Spinach.
• A cup of finely chopped Chives.

Enjoy!