Roasted Tomato + Mushroom Polenta with a Hot Honey Sauce

A bowl of creamy + cheesy polenta that’s loaded with veggies + herbs + whatever the heck else is just one of the most comforting meals in my book. Comforting, and it feels classy. During the week when I’m making a lot of salads + casserole style meals, a plated + composed dinner is just a nice mix up, and a bowl of loaded polenta has become a go to. This hearty bowl of Roasted Tomato + Mushroom Polenta with a Hot Honey Sauce did not disappoint. Creamy polenta + roasted veggies + the most yummy, sticky sauce that’s the perfect combination of spicy and sweet. It just had everything - including these fun, crazy looking mushrooms (technical term - maitake mushrooms) I’ve never cooked with before. But the take-away is that it was delicious. Hearty + full of veggies + a hint of spice. My perfect date-night dinner.

 
 

For the sauce

  • 1/4 c. Franks

  • 2 tbsp hnoey

  • 2 tbsp brown sugar

  • pinch of salt

  • 2 tbsp butter

  • Pepper + red pepper flakes

For the polenta bowls

  • 2 c. cherry tomatoes

  • EVOO

  • Salt + pepper

  • 1 medium leek, finely choppedd

  • 1 lb maitake mushroooms, broken into big chunks

  • polenta - prepared to package instructions

  • 1/4 c. shredded mozz

  • fresh basil, thinly sliced

Start with making the hot sauce. Place the Franks, honey, sugar + salt in a sauce pan. Heat over medium heat + bring to a simmer. Let it simmer until the sugar has dissolved. Turn off the heat + whisk in the butter. Add in a pinch of pepper + red pepper flakes to finish the sauce. Keep warm over low heat.

Preheat the oven to 425 + line a baking sheet with foil. Lightly grease the foil.

Toss the tomatoes (keeping them whole) with a drizzle of EVOO and a sprinkle of salt + pepper. Place the tomatoes on the baking sheet + roast for 15 minutes. In the same bowl, toss together the leeks + mushrooms with another drizzle of EVOO + a couple tablespoons of the spicy sauce and a pinch of red pepper. Add these veggies to same the baking sheet as the tomatoes + roast for another 10-12 minutes - tossing all veggies after 5 minutes of roasting. Take the veggies from the oven when they are a deep caramel color.

As the veggies roast, make the polenta to package instructions. At the end, stir the cheese into the polenta.

Divide the polenta among the serving bowls + top with veggies. Finish by sprinkling another drizzle of the spicy sauce on top of the veggies and a sprinkle of the fresh basil.

Lesley ZehnerComment