Sweet cream corn stirred into polenta makes a quick, warming grain dish that needs only a pan and a wooden spoon. The corn gives you both starch and body, so this shelf dinner is dinner tonight with a salad and protein beside it, or stir in leftover cooked chicken or ham.

Serves 2. 25 minutes, 8 at the stove.

About 780 calories a serving, 27 g protein, 139 g carbohydrate, 26 g fat. From USDA figures for 71% of the ingredients; amounts are the recipe's.

Cook mode

1. Bring 2 cups water to a boil in a heavy saucepan over medium-high heat. Sprinkle in 1/2 cup cornmeal while whisking constantly to avoid lumps, then reduce heat to medium.
2. Stir with a wooden spoon constantly for about 12 minutes until the polenta pulls away from the sides of the pan and a spoon dragged through it leaves a trail. Pour in the entire can of corn with its liquid, add 2 tablespoons butter, 1 minced garlic clove, and 1/4 teaspoon salt, and stir to combine.12 min
3. Fold in 1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese and cook for 1 minute more until the cheese melts and the corn is heated through, then taste and adjust salt.1 min

Note Swap the cheese for a fried egg stirred in at the end. Leftovers keep in the fridge for three days and reheat gently with a splash of water on the stovetop or in a bowl with cream in the microwave. Serve with a green salad and grilled sausages or a rotisserie chicken on the side.