How do you cook pre-cooked polenta: slice, grill, pan-fry, bake or air-fry?

Peel off the plastic film and pour off any liquid first. Cut 3/4-inch rounds for everyday cooking: they hold together and stay soft in the middle. Cut sticks for fries and 3/4-inch cubes for croutons. For a layered bake, cut thinner slices: the Polenta Lasagna recipe uses 1/2-inch slices. One San Gennaro serving is three half-inch slices.

Heat the grill to medium. Brush the polenta rounds with olive oil on both sides. Grill them 8 to 10 minutes a side, until golden with clear marks, and turn them only once. To melt cheese on top, turn the slices, add the cheese and cook 5 to 6 minutes more. Grilled rounds make a sturdy base for toppings and small plates.

Heat a flat griddle or a cast iron skillet over medium heat. Brush the rounds with olive oil. Cook until golden and crisp on one side, about 2 minutes, then flip and cook the other side. Cubes take about 10 minutes in a large skillet, turned often. The Griddled Polenta recipe shows the method step by step.

Heat the oven to 450°F. Brush the rounds with oil and set them on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake about 10 minutes a side, until golden. Fries take longer: 45 to 50 minutes at 450°F on parchment, spread out and turned halfway. See Baked Polenta and Polenta Fries.

Heat the air fryer to 400°F. Cut rounds, sticks or cubes 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick. Spray them with olive oil, season them and lay them in one layer with no pieces touching. Cook 15 to 25 minutes, depending on size, and shake the basket halfway. The Air-Fryer Polenta recipe has the details.

Use thick cuts, a hot surface and room between pieces. Pour off the liquid in the package, pat the slices dry, oil them well and leave them alone until a crust forms. Crowded or wet pieces steam instead of crisping. A 3/4-inch slice keeps a soft center under the crust, which is the texture most recipes want.

Yes. Cut the polenta into small pieces, cover them with about 1 cup of broth and a spoon of olive oil, and cook over medium heat, stirring often, about 10 minutes. Mash with a wooden spoon or an immersion blender, then stir in grated Parmesan. The Creamy Polenta recipe gives the exact amounts.