Tasty Tuesday: Holiday Entertaining

Can anyone else believe that Christmas is a WEEK away! Thankfully my Christmas shopping is pretty much done but now it's time to think about all the entertaining that will happen in the next week. Holiday entertaining can seem super stressful but i have a really easy appetizer that your guests will love and not have you pulling your hair out because of it's long time consuming process. This is so easy that anyone can do! Yes, anyone! Today I will be sharing how to make Polenta Half Moons with Whipped Goat Cheese. Okay, i know, Goat Cheese scares  a lot of people. i admit that i used to be one of those people. but this recipe really makes the goat cheese a lot tamer and not as intense for your guests who might be a little scared of it. 

The original recipe calls for making your own polenta from scratch. however, if you are in a time crunch and want to skip that step you can just buy some at your local Trader Joe's or grocery store. 

You need: 

Polenta

Grated Parmesan 

8 ounces Garlic and Herb Goat Cheese, at room temperature (trader joes)
6 tablespoons heavy cream, at room temperature
6 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted and chopped 

For the Polenta:

Preheat Broiler. spray a heavy baking sheet with vegetable oil cooking spray. Slice the polenta into 1/8-inch-thick slices. Cut each slice of polenta in half to make half-moon shapes and arrange in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet. Brush with the olive oil and sprinkle with the Parmesan. Broil until the cheese is golden, 6 to 7 minutes. Set aside to cool for 10 minutes. (you can even do this up to any hour before and the polenta will hold up just fine)

For the goat cheese: Beat the goat cheese, cream, basil, salt and pepper in a medium bowl using an electric hand mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, 1 minute. Stir in the pine nuts. (can be done hours in advance or the night before! just refrigerate and let sit out for an hour or so before serving so it will soften back up)

Assemble: Using two spoons to measure, place 1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon-size dollops of the goat cheese mixture on top of the polenta slices and serve. I like to top with a couple pine nuts.

and thats it! i told you it was easy! now go and eat! 

Hope you have a simply Tasty Tuesday!