Breakfast Polenta Rounds with mushrooms, ham thyme, and shallots. This is a breakfast like no other. This is the perfect breakfast for someone who doesn’t eat eggs but wants something savory. Crunchy disks of polenta topped with sautéed mushrooms, chunks of ham, toasted shallots, fresh thyme, and finally sprinkled with just a little gruyere are an incredibly satisfying and tasty breakfast fare. This is a very addictive breakfast. I made this for my mom over Christmas for the two of us, my mom has a problem with eggs, and I wanted to make something savory. So, I threw this together with what I had on hand. My mom loved it so much I made it several times for her over her time at my house during the holidays.
It is so delicious and fantastic as an egg alternative for anyone or even a great vegetarian meal, if you leave out the ham, anytime. It would make a great starter, as well. Polenta is corn-based, so those with gluten problems can enjoy this fantastic breakfast alternative, too. And if you leave off the cheese, my neighbors down the street with dairy issues can eat as much of this as they please. I’m going to sprinkle some dairy-free Parmesan on top for them when they come over next time. All those factors make this a great choice to serve as part of a brunch. This recipe could be doubled or tripled. Just cook the polenta in batches and place the rounds onto a cookie sheet before mounding the mushroom mixture before broiling them.
This fabulous breakfast comes together quickly, and if you have everything prepped, it can be on the table in less than 20 minutes. It’s a fantastic meal that would be awesome as part of a brunch or even an appetizer if you are looking for a gluten-free or egg-free dish. I used my 12-inch Iron skillet for this delicious breakfast. But you can easily use a large nonstick skillet if you have one. Both of which you can find on Amazon. (I get a small commission at no cost to you from Amazon. If you use any link on this page, please consider helping fund my food journey.)
Well, that is all for this week. I hope you are all staying safe and healthy out there. These Breakfast Polenta Rounds are so fantastic that even egg lovers won’t miss their usual breakfast. It is making me hungry just thinking about them right now! Please think of others on your choices. We all need to get through this together. Until next time!
- 1 18 oz log premade polenta sliced into 1/4 inch slices
- 4 oz sliced mushrooms
- ¼ lb ham, cut into ¼ inch chunks about 2/3 cup
- ½ cup chopped shallots
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves slightly chopped
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- ½ cup shredded gruyere cheese
- Olive oil
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Heat a large iron or nonstick skillet with an oven-safe handle to medium. Add about a tablespoon of olive oil.
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Sauté the sliced mushrooms until they start to brown and give off some of their moisture.
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Add the shallots and continue to sauté until the shallots have started to soften and cook. You don't want to cook the shallots as long as the mushrooms, as shallots become bitter if they brown too much.
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When the shallots have softened, add the ham and cook until it has started to slightly brown.
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Then add the fresh thyme. Sauté for a minute to bloom the herbs.
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Remove the mushroom, shallot, and ham mixture. Place in a small bowl and set aside.
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Turn your oven on to broil.
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Add 2 tablespoons more olive oil to the skillet. Then add the sliced polenta. It is ok to crowd them to fit them all in. Cook the rounds for 2-3 minutes until they start to crisp on one side.
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Flip each of the rounds and continue to cook until the other side of each round has crisp golden edges.
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Take off heat and spoon some of the mushroom mixture over each polenta round. Distribute all of the mixture evenly.
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Add a few drops of lemon juice to each of the mounds of mushrooms.
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Sprinkle each of the rounds with some of the gruyere cheese.
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Place under the broiler for just a few seconds to melt the cheese and warm the mushroom mixture slightly.
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Serve immediately while hot.
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If you don't have a skillet with an oven-safe handle, you can omit the broiler part and let the rounds continue to cook for a minute more on the stove with the mushroom mixture added. The cheese will not melt as much but will still be delicious.
You can also substitute a dairy-free parmesan for those with dairy issues.
I have also made this using leftover pork chops chopped up, it was marvelous.
