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    Home » Cooking Stuff » Appetizers

    Polenta rounds w/ Portobello Mushrooms.
    4 ingredients, much flavour

    February 27, 2013 by Karen Bertelsen 37 Comments

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    You're about to develop an addiction. I felt it only fair to warn you.  Seared, polenta rounds with softened mushrooms and onions topped with a shot of balsamic and creamy goat's cheese.  A fast and easy sidedish or appetizer.

    Rounds of pan friend polenta with mushroom topping and goat's cheese on a bright blue plate.

    Jump to Recipe

    Here's the thing about side dishes and appetizers.
    They should be easy. Why? Because I say so. My theory pretty much ends there. I think it's a good one though.

    This quick polenta dish is perfect for either an appetizer or an easy side dish.

    All you need is a tube of polenta (doesn't that sound appetizing), 2 Portobello mushrooms, 1 red onion, balsamic vinegar and some goat's cheese.

    Don't really like mushrooms?  What's wrong with you?  I genuinely HATE mushrooms.  If you're going to dislike something you should fully commit to it.  But for some reason I love this easy side dish (or appetizer), mushrooms and all.

    There's something wrong with one of me.  I can be difficult.  Unlike this appetizer.

    Easy Side Dish | Polenta Rounds

    Gather your food stuff.

    Overhead shot of a black countertop with sliced polenta, half a red onion, a portobello mushroom and bowl of balsamic vinegar.

     

    Dice your onion and cleaned mushroom.

    Overhead shot of sliced polenta, diced onion and mushrooms on a black countertop.

    Would you like to save this stuff?

    We'll email you this post, so you can refer to it later.

     

    Cook onions then mushrooms.  Add a splash of balsamic at the end.

    Overhead shot of pan fried diced portobello mushrooms and red onions with a splash of balsamic glaze.

     

    Serve on warmed, pan fried polenta and top with goat's cheese.

     Pan friend polenta with mushroom topping and goat's cheese on a bright blue plate.

     

    Polenta Rounds with Portobello Mushrooms

    These can be served either as an appetizer or a side dish. The especially great thing is you can pre-make the topping, stick it in the fridge and use it all week long.  Just heat it up, dollop it on some pan fried polenta rounds and top with goat cheese.
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    Course: Appetizer
    Cuisine: Yummy
    Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 20 minutes minutes
    Servings: 5 people
    Calories: 90kcal
    Author: Karen Bertelsen

    Ingredients

    • ½ 18 ounce Polenta
    • 2 Portobello mushrooms
    • 1 red onion
    • 3 tablespoon Balsamic vinegar plus more to taste if needed
    • ¼ cup Goat's cheese

    Instructions

    • Slice polenta into generous ¼ inch thick pieces.
    • Clean mushrooms and remove gills. Cut into a small dice.
    • Dice an equal amount of red onion.
    • Cook red onion in non stick pan over medium heat until soft and translucent.
    • Turn heat up to high and add mushrooms.
    • Stir and cook until mushrooms are browned and soft. (5-10 minutes)
    • Add in a big glug of balsamic vinegar. You aren't making a sauce here, you're just making a glaze. Your mushrooms and onions will instantly caramelize from the high heat of the pan. Remove the pan from the heat when most (but not all) of the balsamic is gone.
    • Remove mushrooms and onions to a bowl and cover with tin foil or a dish towel to keep warm.
    • Turn pan heat down to medium and fry polenta rounds until golden on both sides.  You absolutely have to use a non stick pan or you'll regret it.
    • Spoon mushroom and onion mixture over warm polenta rounds. Top with crumbled goat's cheese. Broil if desired.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 3rounds | Calories: 90kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 5mg | Sodium: 47mg | Potassium: 165mg | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 115IU | Vitamin C: 1.7mg | Calcium: 24mg | Iron: 0.4mg

     

    For some reason a lot of people think food needs to be difficult to taste good.  It doesn't.  Honey.  Honey isn't difficult. And it's delicious.

    Fair warning on the fact that tomorrow my theory may change entirely.  I might decide only difficult things are worth eating.  Things with 72 ingredients including things like double charged avocado foam and Sparrows feet.

    Like I say.  Unlike this appetizer, I can be difficult.

    →Follow me on Instagram where I often make a fool of myself←

     

    More Appetizers

    • Making Homemade Potato Chips
    • Salty & Sweet Bacon Wrapped Appetizers
    • Toasted Baguette Crisps. The perfect vehicle for summer tomatoes & basil.
    • A Parmesan Sourdough Cracker Recipe.

    Reader Interactions

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    1. Karin

      February 28, 2016 at 1:54 pm

      Success!!!!

      Although I'm an ignorant moron when it comes to the Oscar's or any related events that didn't stop me to FINALLY giving the polenta mushroom and goat cheese recipe a try. Oh my, wow. The husband and I were all over it. This one's goes on to the wall for sure. Absolutely yummolicious. I'm usually not a too big offa fan of polenta or goatcheese but I guess that's just because I haven't had them combined in a such a delicious fashion. Love love love it

      Thank you Karen

      Reply
      • Karen

        February 28, 2016 at 3:14 pm

        Oh good! I'm glad you liked them. I'm just going to the grocery store now to get my groceries so I'd better decide what it is (other than anojitos) I'm going to have! ~ k!

        Reply
    2. Eve@BlueRidgeRunner

      December 30, 2015 at 4:12 pm

      Took us forever to find the Polenta. It was in the rice isle, inbetween the Quinoa and the Risotto. This recipe is a keeper! Thank you :-)

      Reply
      • Karen

        December 30, 2015 at 5:14 pm

        Did you find the polenta and make it today or are have you made it before? I absolutely love it and I'm not a huge mushroom fan. ~ k!

        Reply
        • Eve@BlueRidgeRunner

          December 30, 2015 at 5:33 pm

          Yes, found it and made it today. We got Basil and Garlic Polenta. It's the first time we've ever had it. My husband Bart said he doesn't like the word Polenta because it sounds too similar to the word placenta, but he loved the dish anyway. We don't eat meat, so we had it as a main meal with sliced pears on the side. Delicious combination! Thanks again and Happy New Year to you! xo ~Eve

    3. Jackson

      March 17, 2013 at 10:37 am

      I'm a vegetarian and this happens to be one of my all time favorites. I also like to do layered, roasted portobello. Slice polenta log into disks. Drizzle olive oil onto upturned mushroom after cleaning it. Salt and pepper, herbs of your choice. Put polenta disk on top of shroom, followed by a layer of freshly sliced tomatoes and any meltable cheese you like. Drizzle olive oil over all, little more salt, maybe chili flakes, more herbs. Roast in oven on 400 for about ten minutes. Amazing! Super easy and ridiculously fast. Great side. Add a Boca burger to the layer and you have an instant entree. Serve with broccoli or Brussels Sprouts and wash it all down with a vanilla oatmeal stout.

      Reply
      • Karen

        March 17, 2013 at 10:40 am

        Jackson - I'm there with you on everything! Except the brussels sprouts. ;) ~karen!

        Reply
    4. Barbie

      March 05, 2013 at 9:32 pm

      Made these tonight. LOVED LOVED them...soooo easy.
      Didn't use the cheese which of course would have made them just over the top....but.....had to stay true to the diet at least for now! I used a little marinara, but they were still awesome. Thx karen.

      Reply
      • Karen

        March 05, 2013 at 10:45 pm

        You're welcome Barbie! ~ karen

        Reply
    5. Palmetto Princess

      March 02, 2013 at 2:11 pm

      I would have done this backwards. I would broil cremi mushrooms and used the cavity to hold the polenta and other ingredients.

      Reply
      • Karen

        March 02, 2013 at 2:16 pm

        Yup. You can do that too. ~ karen

        Reply
    6. Marti

      February 28, 2013 at 5:38 pm

      I love mushrooms.
      I rather like goat cheese.
      I'm good with the onions.

      But I never found polenta to be that interesting. Particularly the stuff sold in tubes in grocery store deli sections.

      Are you a fan of this very bland starch or does the mushroom-goat cheese-onion combo work magic on it, too?

      Reply
      • Karen

        February 28, 2013 at 5:49 pm

        Marti - I actually love polenta, but I also love pretty much any cornmeal product. ~ karen!

        Reply
        • Laura Bee

          February 28, 2013 at 8:55 pm

          Fried cornmeal, baked cornmeal, grilled cornmeal, barbequed cornmeal, corn bread, corn chips...that, that's about it.

        • Rinkypants

          March 02, 2013 at 1:58 am

          ...Cornmeal kebobs, cornmeal soup, cornmeal and potatoes... It's the fruit of the fields! Nice one Laura : )

    7. sera

      February 28, 2013 at 4:40 pm

      I'm super excited that you shared this recipe!!! Did I ask you to give us a polenta recipe or was that my imagination?

      Reply
      • Karen

        February 28, 2013 at 4:44 pm

        YOu did! But I think you wanted something that wasn't a firm polenta. More like a creamy polenta. But ... this is what you got, LOL. ~ k

        Reply
        • sera

          February 28, 2013 at 5:38 pm

          No! Actually, all I ever see is creamy polenta recipes - or actually, the "recipe" is never more than "make polenta. top with your favorite sauce." that's not a recipe. I wanted to know how to do the solid polenta! And now you've shown me how! Yay! thanks Karen!

    8. Shauna

      February 28, 2013 at 1:50 pm

      Love easy apps. Thanks for this one to add to my arsenal!

      Reply
    9. Jeannie B.

      February 28, 2013 at 1:22 pm

      I'm glad that you replied to Barbie because, like her, I was confused. i thought you wrote HATE but meant LOVE mushrooms. I only bought a tube of polenta once, but never knew what to do with it. This creation sounds easy and delicious because I LOVE red onion, mushrooms (especially Portobello) and feta cheese. I'll get some polenta and give it a try. Thanks for the great idea Karen.

      Reply
    10. Nancy Blue Moon

      February 28, 2013 at 1:04 pm

      OK..I hate to bring this up but you hate mushrooms but you love this recipe..but then you hate Brussels sprouts but refuse to try any recipe for them..You are difficult again aren't you..LOL..Now that I said that..Please forgive me if you get a zillion recipes for Brussels sprouts again..Also..This looks so good and I love mushrooms..raw or cooked..

      Reply
    11. Barbie

      February 28, 2013 at 12:36 pm

      Ok....call me daft, but did you say you HATE mushrooms? But love this recipe? Or just that it is easy? I'm confused! HOWEVER, I do have all these ingredients and may just have to make it. OH...w/out the cheese though :(
      Doing the vegan thing for a while (kinda think it won't be for a looooong while though) missin me some CHEESE!

      Reply
      • Karen

        February 28, 2013 at 12:45 pm

        Yup. That's what I said. I do not like mushrooms, but I love these. I love them the most with cheese. ;) ~ karen

        Reply
    12. Claire from Plant & Plate

      February 28, 2013 at 12:13 pm

      Karen, I'm a little creeped out -- yet strangely thrilled -- that you're sneaking into my house to check out my fridge and then writing recipes around the contents.

      Reply
    13. Patti

      February 28, 2013 at 12:13 pm

      OOh! Ooh! This sounds delightful! I don't like mushrooms, either, but I think this would do the trick anyway!

      What aisle will I find the polenta in?

      Reply
      • Karen

        February 28, 2013 at 12:19 pm

        Patti - Either in the "international aisle", or with the pasta, or the cornmeal. ~ karen!

        Reply
        • Patti

          February 28, 2013 at 12:21 pm

          Thanks, Karen! I will totally make it like a champ! And then I'll report back! :)

    14. Lisa

      February 28, 2013 at 11:37 am

      Awesome! I am known for a similar summer appetizer, but I use the fresh mozzarella in the tube, then dice up tomatoes, little basil, maybe feta and drizzle with olive oil and balsamic glaze. No cooking required.

      But I'm having people over for dinner tonight, thank you for this idea!

      Reply
    15. toekneetoni

      February 28, 2013 at 10:35 am

      my mouth is watering at the thought of it. thanks much for this one!

      Reply
    16. ev

      February 28, 2013 at 8:54 am

      Not being all that experienced with polenta, I thought it was usually fried. So i might try frying the rounds first. And NO mushrooms, maybe chopped tomatoes. Maybe drizzle with olive oil and then put the cheese on? Beginning to sound like bruschetta. Oh well, I tried. Thanks for a great blog Karen. It's my first stop in the morning!

      Reply
    17. Michelle

      February 28, 2013 at 8:54 am

      One essential step remains, put under the broiler to cook the polenta and melt the cheese!

      Reply
      • Karen

        February 28, 2013 at 9:18 am

        Step 8 (I fry the polenta rounds in the mushroom pan after cooking the mushrooms, to absorb some of the flavour). Should stick them on a baking pan and shove them under the broiler for a minute after. That'd solve the cheese problem! ~ karen

        Reply
        • sera

          February 28, 2013 at 4:29 pm

          or, if you cook everything in an oven proof skillet, you could just transfer the pan to the oven to melt the cheese super fast.

        • Karen

          February 28, 2013 at 4:36 pm

          Good thinkin'. ~ karen

    18. J9

      February 28, 2013 at 8:14 am

      Now I have to go google what polenta is...thanks for the extra homework!

      Reply
    19. Sue T.

      February 28, 2013 at 3:25 am

      Thanks Karen...it sounds delicious! I've not had polenta before but I love the other stuff, especially portabellos. As soon as I find a tube of polenta somewhere I think this will be my dinner one night !

      Reply
    20. Rinkypants

      February 28, 2013 at 1:19 am

      Shoot... just hosted a little dinner party and wish I saw this 6 hours ago! They sound delicious (let's be honest, ANYTHING topped with goat cheese is!)

      Reply

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