These creamy mushrooms over indulgent mascarpone polenta are just as good for a winter weeknight dinner as they are for a romantic Valentine's meal. Serve with a poached egg on top for an amazing vegetarian feast.
We absolutely love eating polenta. Especially in the winter when you just want comfort food everyday and it's one of those ingredients which seems to work so well as a base for so many different things including beef ragu, prawns, butternut squash and now creamy mushrooms!
How do we feel about Valentine's Day? Do you celebrate it? Will and I are not very good at celebrating it. This is our sixth one as a couple and I can't remember us ever really making a big deal of it.
I am not the type of person that's bothered at all and would definitely not expect a present, I'm happy with a card with some nice sappy words about how much he loves me.
But the one thing we definitely do to celebrate is share a delicious meal. Of course.
Last year Will made me an amazing three course meal for when I got home from work that included pâté, beef sirloin, poached pears and panna cotta. I am very excited to see what he comes up with this year.
Realistically, if he just serves up a big bowl of these creamy mushrooms with mascarpone polenta I would be pretty happy.
There's so much joy in a bowl of polenta, especially when it's got silky smooth marcarpone stirred through it to give it an extra bit of flavour and comforting yumminess.
HOW TO MAKE MASCARPONE POLENTA:
- Use the best quality stock you can. There are only a few ingredients in your polenta so everything you use has a big effect on flavour, if you use a good stock it will really help your polenta taste delicious.
- Get your milk and stock on to boil while you're cooking everything else. The polenta comes together really quickly at the end so you want everything ready to go.
- Make sure you whisk while adding your polenta. This is the most important tip - lumpy polenta is rubbish so you want to whisk quickly as you slowly pour in the polenta.
- Leave your mascarpone out to soften a little so it's easy to stir though your polenta before serving.
These tips will help you get perfectly smooth and silky polenta!
Then, of course, we've got these creamy mushrooms which are cooked with white wine, thyme, butter and cream. So basically all the best, most indulgent foods. It's pure happiness.
TIPS FOR PERFECT CREAMY MUSHROOMS:
- The onion, mushroom and thyme all go in at the same time so make sure they're all chopped and ready before you start melting the butter.
- It's better to use a slightly higher heat to cook the mushrooms because you want them to caramelise rather than stew so the sooner the liquid released by the mushrooms can evaporate the better. Just make sure you keep a close eye on them!
- Make sure you add the squeeze of lemon at the end, it adds such a lovely freshness.
Thyme is definitely a herb I don't use enough and it works so beautifully with these creamy mushrooms. Especially with the white wine in there as well.
And finally we've got a poached egg. Which I guess you don't strictly need but you kind of definitely do because that creamy yolk helps to make everything taste even more indulgent.
Sprinkled with some cracked black pepper and a few extra thyme leaves you're getting a dreamy dinner. If you're after something to serve up to your favourite person on Valentine's Day then you won't find anything better 💘
Get allllll my polenta recipes right here.
Keep scrolling to get the recipe...
WONDERING WHAT TO DO WITH THE LEFTOVER INGREDIENTS YOU’VE GOT ONCE YOU'VE MADE THESE CREAMY MUSHROOMS WITH MASCARPONE POLENTA?
If you’re anything like me then you’re always looking for ways to save money and avoid food waste so I want to make sure you’ve get plenty of ideas on how to use up any ingredients that are leftover from my recipes!
Easy Beef Stroganoff with Mushrooms
Berbere Lentils with a Poached Egg
Recipe
Creamy Mushrooms with Mascarpone Polenta
Ingredients
- 350 g Mushrooms sliced
- 3 sprigs Thyme leaves picked
- 30 g Butter
- Splash White Wine
- 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
- ½ Red Onion finely chopped
- Salt and Pepper
- 150 ml Double Cream
- Squeeze of Lemon
For the Polenta
- 400 g Fine/Quick Cook Polenta
- 1 litre Milk
- 1 litre Vegetable Stock
- 60 g Unsalted Butter
- 5 tablespoon Mascarpone
- 4 Poached Eggs to serve
Instructions
- Heat the butter and olive oil in a saucepan until the butter has melted. Add the onion, mushrooms, thyme and plenty of salt and pepper. Cook until everything is softened and the mushrooms are starting to caramelise.
- Add the wine and cook until the liquid has evaporated. Pour in the cream and add a squeeze of lemon. Serve over the polenta and topped with a poached egg.
To Make the Mascarpone Polenta
- Put the milk and stock in a pan over a medium-high heat, season and bring to the boil. Once it's starting to simmer add the polenta and whisk quickly to avoid lumps. Turn the heat down and leave to cook for 5 minutes.
- Add the mascarpone and butter and stir through until melted.
Notes
Ellen says
That looks like heaven in a bowl! Love the idea of making polenta with mascarpone!
Amy says
Thanks Ellen!
Susan M says
I often order polenta but have never made it. Your recipe makes it seem straightforward. I'm going to try this. Love mushrooms too!
Amy says
Let me know how it turns out! x
Natalie says
I love polenta and mushroom together - such a classic that I just can't get enough of! A great idea for a delicious dinner and for Valentine's day too ♥
Amy says
Thank you Natalie 🙂
sue | theviewfromgreatisland says
This is brilliant, I love polenta but I've never made it with mascarpone. I've got it in the risotto I posted today, though, it's such a luxurious ingredient!
Amy says
Definitely, it's such a treat!
Mairi says
This looks absolutely fabulous! I especially love your food photography - the contrast of yellow with blue works so well!
Amy says
Thanks so much Mairi!