Home Main dishes Mushroom Polenta with Blue Cheese

Mushroom Polenta with Blue Cheese

I love mushrooms, how they look, how they smell during cooking, and how full of nutrients they are. I try to experiment with different kinds but baby bellas are my all time favorite. When I discovered this dish in one of Ina Garten’s books, I could hardly wait to try it. I made some modifications, even though I think the recipe is near perfect.

It would be easy to make Paleo by using cauliflower or potatoes; and I can definitely see using rice as well. Flexible recipes are the best! I use blue corn because it tastes a lot like regular corn meal but is a lot more nutritious. Take a look at this post that mentions about the benefits of blue corn.

I try to incorporate homemade stocks and bone broths to our meals to make them more nourishing and flavorful. Plus the best thing is you can assemble this in advance, like during the day on the weekend, and then put it in the oven right before dinner for a relaxing evening.

HOW TO MAKE MUSHROOM POLENTA WITH BLUE CHEESE

Ingredients
2 pounds of baby bella mushrooms
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
Sea salt and ground black pepper
2 1/2 cups homemade chicken stock (how to make chicken stock) or beef bone broth (how to make bone broth)
2 cups whole milk
3/4 cups blue cornmeal (yellow would work too)
1/4 cup Italian mascarpone cheese
3 ounce crumbled Gorgonzola

Instructions
Preheat oven to 375ºF.
Clean the mushrooms, remove the stems, and place them on a sheet pan underside up.
Sprinkle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake for 20 minutes.
While mushrooms are cooking, make polenta. Bring chicken stock and milk to boil in a saucepan, lower the heat, and slowly sprinkle the cornmeal whisking constantly. Simmer for 6-7 minutes, whisking non-stop, until polenta is thick and smooth.
Remove from heat, stir in mascarpone, 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper to taste.
Pour into 8 x 11 inch baking dish.
Arrange the mushrooms, underside up, in one layer over the polenta. Sprinkle on the gorgonzola, and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and browned.
Serve with fresh chives.

MUSHROOM POLENTA WITH BLUE CHEESE

Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time1 hour

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds baby bella mushrooms
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
  • Sea salt and ground black pepper to taste
  • 2 1/2 cups homemade chicken stock or beef bone broth
  • 2 cups whole milk
  • 3/4 cup blue cornmeal yellow would work too
  • 1/4 cup Italian mascarpone cheese
  • 3 ounces crumbled Gorgonzola cheese

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 375ºF.
  • Clean the mushrooms, remove the stems, and place them on a sheet pan underside up.
  • Sprinkle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake for 20 minutes.
  • While mushrooms are cooking, make polenta. Bring chicken stock and milk to boil in a saucepan, lower the heat, and slowly sprinkle the cornmeal whisking constantly. Simmer for 6-7 minutes, whisking non-stop, until polenta is thick and smooth.
  • Remove from heat, stir in mascarpone, 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper to taste.
  • Pour into 8 x 11 inch baking dish.
  • Arrange the mushrooms, underside up, in one layer over the polenta. Sprinkle on the gorgonzola, and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and browned.
  • Serve with fresh chives.

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5 comments

Robert Bayliss March 11, 2015 - 7:31 pm

Would you be interested in using Teff in place of the cornmeal?

Reply
Valeria - Beets 'n Bones blog March 11, 2015 - 7:40 pm

Yes, that sounds good! Quinoa or millet would probably be good too. Once I made it with toasted buckwheat, and it was delicious.

Reply
Dave February 8, 2020 - 3:57 pm

How much is “1/4 mascarpone cheese?”

Reply
Valeria - Beets 'n Bones blog February 8, 2020 - 4:14 pm

Hey Dave, fixed it – 1/4 cup. Thanks!

Reply
Dave February 8, 2020 - 10:23 pm

Awesome, that was my assumption, but figured it wouldn’t hurt to check. Making it now. ?

Reply

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