Cheddar Scallion Polenta Croquettes

"[Photograph: Blake Royer] When I think of polenta, I think soft and creamy cornmeal served warm from the pot, a delicious northern Italian staple. But polenta also comes in another form, where it's allowed to cool and firm up to be cut into shapes and re-cooked. Polenta in its soft form has always been my go-to—mostly because a grilled piece of cornmeal never much enticed me—until I came across this recipe in Deborah Madison's Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone, where it's breaded and shallow-fried. It sounded like a fine way to accompany some handmade sausages I'd picked up at an Local, an artisanal butcher shop in Michigan. The recipe also mixes in sharp cheddar and scallions to the cooked cornmeal to give it a savory bite before spreading on a baking sheet to cool. Dipped in an egg wash and then breadcrumbs, the croquettes come out crisp on the outside and creamy on the inside...."