Anna Chwistek
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Ricotta Polenta with Drunken Meatballs. Mouthwatering tender meatballs simmered in a hearty brown beer gravy with caramelized onions and served over creamy ricotta polenta. This 30-minute meal will knock your socks off.
Why this recipe works
I hope you love to indulge a few meatballs and some rich flavors to go with it. Here we add caramelized onions and simmer them with a dark beer until the pan sauce thickens.We serve it over a delicious polenta swirled with ricotta. The ricotta cheese adds a creamy touch without a lot of fat, while the parmesan gives it depth and character. The ingredients are simple, the taste is huge. The whole dish comes together in about 30 minutes and will be a meal to remember.
Let me guide you through the recipe with thisstep-by-step VIDEO or follow along on YouTube.
Helpful Tips
Make this recipe your own!
- For the meatballs, you can use ground chicken, beef or pork.
- Add mushrooms to the gravy.
- Swap brown beer for beef broth.
- Use a dark beer with dominant malty sweet flavors.
- Serve with a simple salad, roasted broccoli or green beans.
- No polenta? Serve with mashed potatoes.
- Storage: Leftovers can be safely stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. If the polenta becomes too dry, add a splash of milk.
More polenta, please!
- Cheese Polenta with Chorizo and Shrimp
- Polenta with Creamy Miso Mushrooms and Sun-Dried Tomatoes
- Creamy Parmesan polenta with beer sautéed mushrooms
Cooking Video: How to make polenta with meatballs
Ricotta Polenta with Drunken Meatballs
Anna Chwistek
Mouthwatering tender meatballs simmered in a hearty brown beer gravy with caramelized onions and served over creamy ricotta polenta. This 30-minute meal will knock your socks off.
4.53 from 93 votes
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Prep Time 10 minutes mins
Cook Time 20 minutes mins
Total Time 30 minutes mins
Course Main Course
Cuisine Italian
Servings 4
Calories 495 kcal
Ingredients
Ricotta Polenta
- 7 ounces instant polenta
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 2 cups whole milk
- 7 ounces whole milk ricotta
- 3 ounces grated Parmesan
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
Meatballs
- 1.1 pounds ground meat I used 70% pork with 30% beef
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ½ tsp sweet paprika
- ½ tsp cayenne pepper
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp dried onion
- ¼ tsp nutmeg
- 1 egg
- 2 tbsp breadcrumbs
Beer Gravy
- 2 yellow onions thinly sliced
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 cup brown beer use a dark beer with dominant malty sweet flavors
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 tsp yellow mustard
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 2 tbsp flour
- chopped chives for serving
Instructions
Meatballs in Beer Gravy
Combine all the ingredients for the meatballs in a large bowl. Mix until just combined, using your hands. Roll the meat into 2 tablespoon-sized balls.
In a large non-stick skillet, heat 1 tbsp butter and 2 tbsp olive oil over medium heat. Add the meatballs and brown on all sides, about 10 minutes or until they’re cooked through, turning them 2-3 times. Transfer to a plate.
In the same skillet, add 1 tbsp oil and 2 tbsp butter. Cook onions for 5 minutes over low heat. Add garlic, cook for 2 minutes. Stir in black pepper, oregano, thyme and flour. Allow the flour to cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Pour in the brown beer and chicken broth, then stir in the mustard. Bring the sauce to a boil.
Slide the meatballs and all of the released juices back into the skillet. Add salt and pepper to your own taste. Simmer over low heat while you make the polenta.
Ricotta Polenta
In a saucepan, bring chicken broth and milk to a boil. Slowly whisk in the polenta, stirring continuously over low, about 2-3 minutes. Turn off the heat. Stir in ricotta, parmesan, salt and black pepper. Add butter and stir to combine. Cover and let stand for 1 minute. If the polenta thickens too much, thin with some additional milk or chicken broth. Add more salt and pepper, if needed.
Divide polenta over bowls, top with meatballs and gravy. Serve with chopped chives, a salad or roasted broccoli. Enjoy!
Nutrition
Serving: 1gCalories: 495kcalCarbohydrates: 23gProtein: 16gFat: 38gSaturated Fat: 17gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 15gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 121mgSodium: 1440mgPotassium: 437mgFiber: 2gSugar: 10gVitamin A: 1125IUVitamin C: 6mgCalcium: 395mgIron: 2mg
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33 comments
This looks so good!
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Thanks! Hope you give it a try!
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This was delicious!!! It made me very, very happy!! Thank you!Reply
I am so glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for giving it a try and making!
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This was awesome, Loved the richness of the gravy I questioned the dark beer but think it was a secret ingredient. And the polenta. Decadent yum!Reply
I am so glad you enjoyed the recipe, thanks for giving it a try and making!
This recipe was amazing! We celebrated the New Year this evening with delicious meatballs and polenta. This is must to try! Thank you.Reply
Yay! That’s so nice to hear, thank you so much for giving this recipe a try!
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Anna…. This was amazing! I give this 5 stars hands down! The left overs were even better 🥰Reply
Fantastic ! I’m so thrilled that you enjoyed this recipe, thanks a lot for giving it a try!
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Can almond or coconut milk sub for the whole milk?
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Yes, you can use unsweetened almond, soy or coconut milk. Enjoy the recipe!
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First, I haven’t made this yet. Second, yes, I do think I will. But in what planet is this a 30 minute recipe? Even w INSTANT risotto, there is no way. 30 minutes 🤣 but it sounds delicious.Reply
Substituted mashed potatoes and only had ipa, so added a tiny bit of brown sugar. Did the trick, honestly! Was really good. Not your normal type of gravy. Tasted like something out of a really really good Irish punReply
Thanks Brandon!
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Can the beer be substituted with something else? I can’t have any alcohol.
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Hi, you can swap beer for beef broth and add 1/2 tsp maple syrup or brown sugar.
Please let me know if you have any more questions. Enjoy the recipe!Reply
Can I use something. Other than ricotta? Thank youReply
Hi, you can use cottage cheese or cream cheese, the texture might change a bit, but if the polenta turns out too dry, you can add a splash of water. Happy cooking!
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Truthfully, I didn’t have high expectations for this dish (I’d never made good meatballs and polenta? meh), but this is now one of my favorite dishes! It is a flavor bomb, ya’ll. The polenta is surprisingly good, and the meatballs and the gravy are {chef’s kiss}. I’d put it over egg noodles, too. I used ground chicken and beef broth. I’ll be checking this site out for other golden nuggets. Thank you!Reply
Yay Sadie! It makes me so happy to hear that!
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Made these tonight and served them wirh Mashed potatoes. This dish is the most flavorful dish I’ve tasted in a long time!Reply
It makes me so happy to hear that Gretchen!
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This dish was so easy to prepare. Whole family loved itReply
Thank you Sarina!
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this was very, very good! but it definitely takes longer than 30 minutes to make — took me almost double that time. still worth it, though!Reply
I’m so happy you enjoyed it Laura! Thanks for making!
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This was so incredibly delicious! I used beef & pork which I get from a Farm in Vermont. Thanks so much Anna for the recipe!Reply
You’re welcome Nancy!
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What beer do you use ?
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hi, I used a sweet dark beer, that’s not too high in percentage with dominant malty flavors. Enjoy the recipe!
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Can I use stoneground grits instead of polenta? If so, would the recipe be the same? I made two of your recipes, a shrimp recipe and the bean and sausage soup recipe. Both were excellent! I am a fan!!! Your recipes are creative and well written. When will the cookbook come out??❤️
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Thank you Annette! It makes me so happy to hear you’re enjoying the recipes!
If you want to use stone-ground grits instead of instant polenta, it will result in a longer cooking time. Stone-ground grits are coarser and less processed than instant polenta, so they will take longer to cook and soften. Typically, stone-ground grits require simmering for around 45 minutes, however, the exact cooking time can vary based on the specific brand and grind of the grits, so it’s always a good idea to check the package instructions.
Pleas let me know if you have any other questions. Happy cooking! xReply
