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Small Batch Baked Polenta with Mushrooms

A small covered baking dish lets polenta cook while you prepare a savory mushroom topping on the stove. This small batch baked polenta with mushrooms makes two light main portions or three side portions, using half a cup of dry polenta rather than a large pot. The finished base is soft and spoonable, with mushrooms and a little pan liquid over the top.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 55 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Servings: 2 light main servings (or 3 side servings)
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Polenta
  • ½ cup medium or coarse ground polenta, about 80 grams
  • 2 cups water
  • ¼ teaspoon fine salt
  • ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon olive oil for the dish
  • 2 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan
  • 1 tablespoon butter or olive oil
  • 2–4 tablespoons hot water, only if needed at the finish
Mushrooms
  • 8 ounces cremini mushrooms, trimmed and sliced ¼ inch thick
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 small shallot, finely chopped
  • 1 small garlic clove, finely chopped
  • ½ teaspoon fresh thyme leaves or ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
  • ¼ cup low-sodium vegetable broth
  • 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
  • ⅛ teaspoon fine salt, plus more to taste
  • ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon chopped parsley, optional

Equipment

  • 1-quart oven-safe casserole with a tight lid or tightly crimped foil
  • 10-inch skillet
  • whisk
  • wooden spoon

Method
 

Instructions
  1. Heat the oven and prepare the casserole. Heat to 375°F with a rack in the center. Lightly coat the inside of the 1-quart dish with 1 teaspoon oil. Make sure the dish and its lid are oven-safe at this temperature. Set it on a small rimmed sheet for easier handling if desired.
  2. Disperse the polenta. Add water, polenta, salt, and pepper to the dish. Whisk thoroughly so no dry clumps remain on the bottom or corners. Cover tightly. The mixture will look very thin at first; the grain needs time to hydrate.
  3. Bake, then stir. Bake for 25 minutes. Carefully remove the lid or peel foil away from your face to release steam. Whisk through the bottom and sides, breaking up any thickened areas. Cover again and return to the oven for another 20 minutes.
  4. Start the mushrooms during the second stage. Heat the skillet over medium-high heat and add 1 tablespoon oil. Add mushrooms in a broad layer. Cook for 4–5 minutes before stirring frequently, then continue until released liquid mostly evaporates and some surfaces brown, usually another 4–6 minutes.
  5. Build the topping. Reduce heat to medium, add shallot, and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in garlic and thyme for about 30 seconds. Add broth, vinegar, salt, and pepper, scraping the pan with a wooden spoon. Simmer for 2–3 minutes until the topping has a little spoonable liquid.
  6. Test the grain. At approximately 45 minutes, taste a small cooled spoonful of polenta. The grains should be tender, with no hard or gritty center. If still firm, add 2 tablespoons hot water, stir, cover, and bake another 5–10 minutes before checking again.
  7. Adjust the consistency. Stir Parmesan and butter or olive oil into the tender polenta. Add hot water a tablespoon at a time only if it is too stiff to spoon easily. If it is unusually thin but the grains are tender, return it uncovered to the oven for a few minutes and stir again.
  8. Serve while it is soft. Spoon polenta into warm shallow bowls. Add mushrooms and their small amount of pan sauce. Sprinkle with optional parsley and a little extra pepper. Bring the bowls to the table promptly because polenta thickens as it stands.

Notes

  • Yield and timing: Makes 2 light main servings or 3 side servings. Allow about 10 minutes prep and 45–55 minutes oven cooking; total roughly 65 minutes, depending on the grain and dish.
  • Dish and texture: Use a tightly covered 1-quart oven-safe casserole at 375°F. Stir after 25 minutes and check a cooled spoonful at about 45 minutes. Tender polenta should be soft and spoonable, not gritty; if needed, add 2 tablespoons hot water, re-cover and bake 5–10 minutes longer before retesting.
  • Measured liquid: Begin with ½ cup cooking-grade polenta and 2 cups water. The optional 2–4 tablespoons of hot water are a finishing adjustment, not an automatic addition. Instant or precooked polenta needs a different method.
  • Mushroom topping: Sauté the sliced cremini separately so excess moisture evaporates. Add shallot, garlic and thyme later, then reduce the broth and vinegar briefly; spoon the mushrooms and their small amount of pan sauce over the polenta just before serving.
  • Storage: Refrigerate leftovers in shallow containers within 2 hours (within 1 hour if above 90°F), use refrigerated leftovers within 3–4 days and reheat to 165°F. Rewarm set polenta with a splash of water or broth, stirring until spoonable.