Mushroom Polenta

When I’m craving a substantial and comforting meal, but I don’t want to spend all day braising a tough cut of meat, I make this meatless Mushroom Polenta. 

It comes together quickly thanks to the quick-cooking instant polenta—no need to stand over the stove stirring it for 30 minutes. Most brands of instant polenta cook in under 5 minutes and they’re still as rich and creamy. 

The polenta is seasoned with butter, Parmesan cheese, and a little parsley. It’s topped with sautéed white button and cremini mushrooms, garlic, and onions in a light herby sauce punched up with a dash of red wine vinegar.

How to Pick the Best Mushrooms

This recipe calls for white button and cremini mushrooms. White button mushrooms have a mild flavor and are suitable for most recipes. Cremini mushrooms are darker, firmer, and have a bold, earthy flavor. Both are the same species, but the difference in color comes with age—creminis are more mature.

At the grocery store, look for whole mushrooms that are plump and smooth, but not dried out or wet and slimy. If you want to learn more about mushrooms, here is a good read! 

Pre-sliced mushrooms may seem more convenient, but they tend to be dried out and unevenly cut. This means they may cook unevenly. I like to buy whole mushrooms. Instead of slicing the mushrooms, I like to quarter or halve (if they are large) them. They’ll keep their shape better once cooked. 

Mushroom Storage and Cleaning

Pop the mushrooms that come in a container wrapped in plastic in the fridge until ready to use. If you don’t use them all at once, it’s best to store them in a small paper bag in the fridge to absorb any moisture that might make them slimy. They will keep for a couple of days or up to one week depending on how fresh they were when you bought them. 

Clean away any visible dirt with a dry paper towel or brush them off with a pastry brush. Trim the tough bottom of the stems. 

There are some questions over whether you can wash mushrooms with water. I have done it and I embrace it. It’s easier, especially when the mushrooms are extra dirty. I say cook’s choice!  The result will be the same. Just make sure to dry them well with a clean kitchen towel if you’re washing them with water. 

Cooking the Mushrooms

This recipe calls for cooking the mushrooms in a hot skillet with water. At first glance, it might seem counterintuitive. Will the mushrooms brown? How will they get crispy? Won’t they be soggy? All great questions. 

I learned about this technique from America’s Test Kitchen and Alton Brown—I had faith they’d done the hard work of figuring it out. The mushrooms are steamed in the water, drawing out their natural moisture and thereby shrinking them. Don’t worry. That’s ok! The water will eventually evaporate. Then, you can add just a little oil to help the mushrooms brown. 

The benefit of this method is that the mushrooms will brown nicely without absorbing too much oil and getting greasy. 

What’s Polenta?

Polenta, an Italian staple, is a savory cornmeal porridge made with stone-ground dried corn. It can take up to 30 minutes to cook and requires constant stirring to soften the grains and prevent clumping. 

Fortunately for those a little pressed for time, instant polenta cooks in less than 5 minutes. Check the package instructions for the exact timing. 

The flavor of polenta is relatively neutral. The addition of fats like butter and cheese makes it silkier and tastier. Chopped parsley adds freshness. Be sure to season it well with salt, especially if you’re using a low-sodium vegetable broth. 

Swaps and Substitutions that Work

Here are some ways to customize this dish to fit your pantry, timeframe, or taste:

• Got extra time on your hands? Make regular polenta, which is more textured and has a more pronounced corn flavor.
• Any type of mushrooms would work here—trim and halve shiitakes or cut portobellos into bite-size pieces. Specialty stores and farmers markets might have oyster mushrooms or enoki that could be fun to use and yummy. 
• If you have dried porcini mushrooms, soak them in hot water for about 20 minutes. Strain away any grit and save the broth to add to the polenta or in the sauce for the mushrooms.
• Instead of polenta, the mushrooms can be served over cooked pasta or another grain, like farro.

How I Serve Mushroom Polenta

Serve Mushroom Polenta with a simple salad of bitter or mixed greens with your favorite vinaigrette. I like adding whole parsley leaves to salads and using fresh lemon juice instead of vinegar.

Plan Ahead: Ideas! 

I don’t recommend making the polenta ahead of time (beyond ten minutes or so before serving), but the mushrooms can be made one day before and reheated before serving. There’s a reason leftover polenta is often fried—it’s hard to get it nice and creamy again after it spends a night in the fridge. It becomes a solid mass.  

Cut it into 1/2-inch slices. Heat a couple tablespoons of oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Pan fry the slices until crispy and browned, about five minutes per side. It’s really the only way to resuscitate it.

How to Store Leftovers

Store the mushroom sauce in an airtight container separate from the polenta if you have leftovers. The mushrooms can be reheated in the microwave or in a small pot on the stove top until warmed through. To store the polenta, place plastic wrap directly on the surface so it doesn’t form a skin.

For the Love of Mushrooms

• Instant Pot Mushroom Risotto
• Mushroom Toast with Fried Egg
• Mushroom Pie
• Mushroom Sugo         
• Crispy Cheese and Mushroom Quesadillas