Polenta chips recipe

If you want to make things a bit healthier for your family, but still make the old favourites they love, then give these cheesy polenta chips a go. They're baked in the oven and so they use very little fat but they still get really crispy. They'll work with all the meals where you normally have chips. What's more they're also perfect for babies at the finger food stage. Cut the polenta into pieces small enough for your baby to hold and they can sit at the table and enjoy the same meal as you. Experiment with different cheeses to give your family different tastes - these work well with parmesan, Cheddar or red Leicester.

Ingredients

• 375g quick cook polenta
• 1.5 litres of boiling water
• Pinch of salt (leave out if making for a baby)
• 50g of hard cheese, like parmesan, grated
• Olive oil

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F/Gas Mark 5.
2. Put the polenta into a heavy-based saucepan and slowly whisk in the water and salt. Keep whisking over a low heat for about 8 minutes while the polenta starts to thicken. Be careful when the polenta starts to bubble.
3. Remove from the heat and stir in the cheese. Pour the polenta onto a plate, use a spatula to shape into a cake - keeping it quite thick - and leave to cool completely.
4. Once cool cut into chips and place on a non-stick baking tray. Brush with a little oil and put in the oven for 25-30 minutes until the chips are crunchy and golden.