This creamy, cheesy polenta is topped with earthy mushrooms and makes a satisfying main course or a substantial side dish. If you have leftover polenta, form it into polenta cakes and freeze them for another meal. (Larger image.)
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Ingredients:
- ****For Polenta****
- 3 cups vegetable stock or broth (preferably low-sodium)
- 1 cup polenta
- 1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 tablespoon butter, optional
- Salt and pepper
- ****For Mushrooms****
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 4 cups mixed mushrooms, such as cremini, shiitake, chanterelle, etc, cleaned, larger mushrooms cut in half
- Salt and pepper
Preparation:
- To make polenta, add vegetable stock to a saucier or a saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Sprinkle polenta into stock and stir. Lower heat to medium-low and cook, stirring frequently, for 30 to 40 minutes, or until polenta is thick and soft, not gritty. Take care to stir up polenta from the bottom and corners of the pan so that it doesn't stick, and if it gets too thick, add water or more vegetable stock, 1/2 cup at a time, to thin it out.
- Meanwhile, heat a skillet over medium heat and add the olive oil, tilting the pan to coat the surface completely with oil. Add the mushrooms and saute, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms soften and release their juices. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- When the polenta is cooked, stir in the parmesan cheese and the butter, if desired, and season to taste with salt and pepper.
- To serve, spoon a mound of polenta onto a plate or a shallow bowl and top with a spoonful of mushrooms.
This recipes for Parmesan Polenta with Sauteed Mushrooms serves 4.
