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Crispy Polenta Rounds with Wild Mushrooms & Fontina

Crispy Polenta Rounds with Wild Mushrooms & Fontina

Updated October 28, 2026

Creamy fontina polenta chilled, cut and pan-fried until crisp, then topped with garlicky wine-glazed mushrooms and melted fontina.

Before you start: line an 8x8-inch baking dish with parchment. If the polenta sticks, the pan or oil isn't hot enough yet, or it needs another minute before flipping.

Make the polenta up to 2 days ahead; keep it covered in the fridge. Cremini alone work fine if wild mushrooms are hard to find or pricey.

Cook time
3 hrs 18 min
Rating
…

Ingredients

Scale
Measurement units
  • 3 cups whole milk
  • 1 cup vegetable broth
  • 1 ¼ tsp kosher salt (divided)
  • 1 cup coarse polenta or cornmeal (not instant)
  • 4 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 6 oz fontina cheese (shredded; divided)
  • ¼ tsp black pepper
  • 1 lb mixed mushrooms, such as cremini, shiitake and maitake (sliced)
  • 3 garlic cloves (minced)
  • 1 tbsp fresh thyme (chopped)
  • 4 tbsp olive oil (divided)
  • ½ cup dry white wine
  • 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • 1 oz Parmesan cheese (grated; optional)
  • 2 tbsp fresh parsley (chopped)

Instructions

Cook the polenta
Bring milk (3 cups), broth (1 cup) and salt (1 tsp) to a simmer over medium heat.
Pour in polenta (1 cup) in a thin stream, whisking constantly.
Turn the heat to low and cook, stirring often and scraping the bottom, until thick and the grains are tender, about 25 minutes.
Off the heat, stir in butter (4 tbsp), fontina (3 oz) and pepper (¼ tsp) until smooth.
Equipment: heavy-bottomed saucepan and whisk
Set and chill
Scrape the polenta into the lined dish and smooth the top.
Cool slightly, then cover and refrigerate until completely firm, at least 2 hours or overnight.
Equipment: 8x8-inch baking dish and parchment
Prep the mushrooms
Slice the mushrooms about 1/4 inch thick, pulling maitake apart into small clusters. Mince the garlic and chop the thyme.
Equipment: cutting board and knife
Cook the mushrooms
Heat olive oil (2 tbsp) in the skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms (1 lb) in an even layer and leave them alone until browned underneath, about 4 minutes.
Stir and keep cooking until the liquid is gone and they're browned all over, about 4 minutes.
Add garlic and thyme (1 tbsp) and stir until fragrant, about 1 minute.
Pour in white wine (½ cup) and balsamic (1 tbsp), scraping up the browned bits, and simmer until the liquid is almost gone and glazes the mushrooms, about 2 minutes.
Season with salt (¼ tsp), scrape into a bowl and wipe out the skillet.
Equipment: large nonstick or cast-iron skillet with a lid
Fry the polenta
Lift the polenta out by the parchment and cut into 16 squares, or punch out rounds with a 2-inch cutter.
Heat olive oil (2 tbsp) in the skillet over medium-high heat. Add the polenta in a single layer, in batches if needed, and cook without moving until a golden crust forms underneath, about 3 minutes.
Flip and crisp the second side, about 3 minutes.
Equipment: cutting board and knife, large nonstick or cast-iron skillet with a lid
Top, melt and serve
Return all the polenta to the skillet over low heat, spoon the mushrooms on top and scatter with fontina (3 oz).
Cover until the cheese melts, about 1 minute.
Sprinkle with Parmesan (1 oz) and parsley (2 tbsp) and serve hot.
Equipment: large nonstick or cast-iron skillet with a lid

Tomorrow's Meal

Crispy Polenta & Mushroom Hash with Fried Eggs

Leftover polenta cubed and crisped in a skillet with the mushrooms, topped with fried eggs.

You'll need to pick up:

2 eggs1 tbsp olive oila handful of baby spinach

Quick overview:

  1. 1.Cut leftover polenta into 1-inch cubes
  2. 2.Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat and crisp the cubes 5 to 6 minutes, turning
  3. 3.Add leftover mushrooms and spinach and cook until the spinach wilts
  4. 4.Push aside, fry the eggs in the same pan until the whites are set, and serve on top

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