Make polenta a breakfast or weekend brunch feature with poached eggs and garlicky sauteed mushrooms
If you have leftover polenta from last night’s dinner, this is the perfect dish to make the next day with it.
You can even make poached eggs in advance and then store them in the refrigerator in a jar of water. All it takes to warm the eggs back up is a brief soak in hot tap water.
If you do not happen to have everything on hand, that's okay. It comes together very easily.
This is a deceptively simple meal.
The flavours from the butter, Parmigiano-Reggiano, and garlic make it so very rich and savoury but not heavy. Polenta has a subtle sweetness that holds up well to richer sauces. Mushrooms are earthy and soak up fats and flavours beautifully. A poached egg on top with a rich yolk makes it a beautifully balanced meal.
Brunch polenta might sound like an unorthodox plan, but it absolutely works.
Assemble your mise en place and then start the polenta first, followed by the mushrooms. Depending on the variety you are using, mushrooms can take a decent amount of time to cook. The polenta will take approximately 20 minutes to half an hour unless you’re using the instant kind (which I do not recommend).
Do not hold back with the butter and cheese either. You will not regret it.
Have you tried this recipe? Let me know what you think in the comments.
PrintPolenta for Brunch With Poached Eggs & Garlicky Mushrooms
All of the components for this brunch polenta dish can be made in advance if you so wish. If not, it comes together very easily. All you need is polenta, mushrooms, eggs, garlic, butter, and Parmesan Regianno.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Brunch
Ingredients
For The Polenta:
- 1 1/2 cups of polenta, preferably not the instant kind
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 1/3 cup of grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
- 6 cups of water
- Sea Salt
For The Sautéed Mushrooms:
- 1 pound fresh mushrooms of your choice
- 6 tablespoons butter
- 4 cloves of garlic, minced
- Salt & pepper to taste
- (Optional) 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves picked off their stems
- Dash of balsamic vinegar
- Eggs, poached. 1-2 per person, per serving.
- A bunch of Arugula
Instructions
Assemble your mise en place: mince the garlic, pick the thyme leaves off the stems, measure out your butter, grate your Parmesano.
Start The Polenta:
- In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, bring the water to a boil.
- Gradually add the polenta in a slow and steady stream, stirring all the time. Reduce the heat to low and keep stirring until the polenta thickens, about 15-20 minutes.
- If the water is evaporating too quickly, add in a bit more.
- After the polenta has thickened, remove from heat and stir in the butter and Parmesano.
While The Polenta Cooks:
- In a large pan, melt the butter, add the garlic, and when it starts to sizzle and become fragrant over medium heat, add in your mushrooms.
- Season with the thyme leaves.
- Add a dash of balsamic vinegar.
- Sauté until starting to become golden brown and tender — 8-10 minutes.
Get a Pot of Boiling Water Going:
- While the polenta and mushrooms are cooking, have a pot of water ready to boil for the egg poaching. I would turn on the heat after I’ve added the mushrooms to my pan. This will allow everything to be timed nicely.
- If you are poaching a larger quantity of eggs, do that first, and then warm the eggs back up in hot tap water before blotting on a paper towel.
- Poach the required amount of eggs.
Assembly:
Spoon the desired amount of polenta into a bowl or onto a plate. You can use smaller bowls to create a nice mould if you wish. Add some bitters like arugula (optional). Add the mushrooms and then top with a poached egg.
Spoon some of the garlic butter from the mushrooms over top.
Add a sprinkle of sea salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste.
Notes
A dollop of yoghurt or sour cream at the end is another nice touch.
Keywords: polenta, brunch, breakfast, poached eggs, sauteed mushrooms
The Peasant's Daughter is a journey through the traditional recipes and stories of the women who came before me. 
This honestly looks delicious… nice work! I love poached eggs over anything, just can’t go wrong.
★★★★★
Poached eggs & mushrooms for breakfast is my jam!! I’ve got loads of polenta in the pantry and tomorrow is Sunday – guess I’ll be giving this a go
★★★★★
This is simple but stunning! I love all the flavour in this and those mushrooms!! Yes please!
★★★★★
We eat a lot of polenta here in Northern Italy but usually grilled with local salami as an antipasto or with rich meat ragu. I LOVE this idea. Polenta with egg and mushrooms for brunch! Yes please! Going to pin for later!
★★★★★
I love polenta! Looks so delicious and perfect for brunch!
★★★★★