Baked Creamy Polenta with Mushrooms, Tomatoes and Spinach
Polenta is the ultimate comfort food and this recipe really takes it to the next level. While the final product feels elevated, most of the work is hands off which makes this Baked Creamy Polenta with Mushrooms, Tomatoes and Spinach a perfect choice for an easy, yet impressive dinner. Add instant polenta to your shopping list and get cooking.
Servings: 4
Equipment
- Oven and stove top
Ingredients
Roasted vegetables
- 8 oz mixed mushrooms (crimini, shitake, oyster, baby portobella, etc.), roughly cut into 1” pieces
- 12-15 cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 medium onion, halved and thinly sliced
- 3 or more cloves of garlic, sliced
- ½ tsp dried thyme (fresh is even better)
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- cooking spray of choice
Baked Polenta
- 1 32 oz box (4 cups) broth of choice (I use veggie)
- ½ cup water
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 cup instant polenta (I use the brand Sclafani)
- 2 large handful of baby spinach
- 1/3 cup grated Parmesan or Romano cheese
- 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
Instructions
- Place racks in upper and lower thirds of oven; preheat to 325°. In a large bowl, combine all the roasted vegetable ingredients, gently tossing to coat evenly. Line a baking sheet with foil and coat with cooking spray. Spread vegetables out in an even layer, making sure not to crowd the mushrooms (you want them to roast, not steam). Use a second baking sheet if necessary. Place on upper rack of preheated oven and bake until polenta is ready (about 35 minutes), tossing after about 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a large ovenproof saucepan, bring broth and water (you need a total of 4 ½ cups of liquid) to boil. Add butter and stir to melt. Slowly (this is important!) add polenta, stirring constantly. Return mixture to a boil, immediately cover pot, and transfer to lower rack of oven. Bake polenta for 25-30 minutes (check it at 25 minutes—it is done when it has absorbed all of the liquid).
- Remove polenta from the oven, place on stovetop and carefully uncover. Stir, scrapping any polenta off the bottom of the pan. Add cheese, spinach and vinegar to polenta and mix until cheese is melted, and spinach is wilted. Taste and adjust seasoning. Cover and keep warm over low heat.
- Remove veggies from oven. Divide polenta among bowls and top with roasted veggies. Sprinkle with some extra cheese for good measure and serve immediately. If reheating leftovers, add a bit of liquid (water, broth or milk) to get original consistency.
Notes
Be sure to use instant polenta. While it can be cooked on the stove top in about 5 minutes, this baked method will really give you a creamy final product. It will be worth it!