Polenta Casserole with Mushrooms and Sun-dried Tomatoes
Published Sep 30, 2023
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Using instant polenta significantly reduces the cooking time for this casserole that’s loaded with Mediterranean flavors.
Polenta Casserole with Mushrooms and Sun-dried Tomatoes
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons (30 g) unsalted butter, plus more for greasing the pan
- 4 cups (.9 L) water
- 1 cup (236.6 mL) whole milk
- 2 teaspoons (12 g) kosher salt, divided
- 1 cup (122 g) instant polenta
- ½ cup (24 g) thinly sliced green onions
- 1 cup (100 g) grated Parmesan cheese, divided
- 2 tablespoons (30 mL) extra virgin olive oil
- 1 cup (115 g) diced sweet onion
- 4 ounces (113 g) cremini mushrooms, sliced
- 1 tablespoon (15 g) minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon (1.7 g) fresh thyme leaves
- 1 cup (175 g) sun-dried tomatoes in olive oil, drained and roughly chopped
- 1 tablespoon (15 mL) tomato paste
- 1 cup (236.6 mL) dry white wine
- 4 cups (120 g) baby spinach, roughly chopped
- ½ cup (15 g) fresh basil, chopped
- 4 ounces (113 g) goat cheese, crumbled
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F and lightly grease a 9x13 baking dish with butter.
- Combine the water and milk in a large saucepan and bring to a low boil. Stir in 1 teaspoon of salt. Reduce the heat to low, then gradually pour in the polenta in a steady stream while stirring constantly. Cook, stirring often, until the polenta has thickened, about 3 minutes. Remove the pot from heat, then stir in the butter, green onions, and ½ cup Parmesan cheese. Pour the polenta into the baking dish and spread it out in an even layer.
- Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion, mushrooms, and the remaining teaspoon of salt. Cook until the onion is tender and the mushrooms have released their liquid, about 7-8 minutes.
- Add the minced garlic and thyme and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Add the tomatoes to the skillet and cook for 2-3 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and cook until it has slightly browned. Pour in the wine and deglaze the pan, scraping up any brown bits with a spoon. Simmer until the wine has reduced by about half, about 5 minutes. Add the spinach and cook until it has wilted, about 4-5 minutes. Stir in the basil, then remove the skillet from heat.
- Layer the tomato and mushroom mixture on top of the polenta in the baking dish. Crumble in the goat cheese and sprinkle the remaining ½ cup of Parmesan on top.
- Transfer the dish to the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes until the cheese has melted. Allow to rest for 5 minutes before cutting into squares and serving.
Nutrition
Calories: 279kcalCarbohydrates: 27gProtein: 12gFat: 13gSaturated Fat: 6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 23mgSodium: 800mgPotassium: 715mgFiber: 3gSugar: 8gVitamin A: 1924IUVitamin C: 13mgCalcium: 234mgIron: 2mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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