Asiago, Shitaki & Thyme Polenta Stuffed Portabellas

Ever since I was little, I have always had this habit of dismantling food.  It’s a way of eating that has become a staple in my life.  I don’t know why, but I can’t just pick up a sandwich and eat it.  I take it apart and eat it in sections.

I think it evolved out of how, when I was little, I used to think things like ketchup and mustard were merely “edible paint”.  Much to my mother’s delight, whenever she gave me a Happy Meal in the car, I would turn the backseat car windows into my own little canvases, smashing and smearing smiley faces on to the glass.

That’s just the tip of the iceberg, in terms of how I “expressed myself through art”.  When I was about four (I think), I coated all of our upholstered furniture, silk lamp shades, dressers, tables, and then myself in Vaseline while my mom was sleeping.  Then I crawled into bed with her. She woke up, thinking I looked like a glowing angel… and then she realized why I was glowing.

Exasperated, she recounted the tale to her mother.   My Nana laughed and replied, “Well,  you said you wanted her to be creative!”

I also loved mashed potatoes as a sculptural medium apparently, i.e. in little mounds all over the floor and in dresser drawers.

I was the best kid ever, right?

I digress.

So yes, I dismantle my food.  Always have. Always will.  Seriously, give me a Filet-o-Fish sandwich, and I will pull it apart and eat the sandwich in two separate pieces.

There are exceptions to the rule, like grilled cheese sandwiches, but those exceptions are few and far between.

An inverse of this habit exists in my world, however.  When it comes to main dishes that aren’t sandwiches, with sides, I like them piled.  You know how you can get a salmon dish that’s piled up on whipped potatoes, topped with spinach?  I love that!  Towers of tartar with avocado and the like?  Amazing.  It’s like… freakin’ edible stacked Legos.

So when I was perusing the internet the other night, trying to find something to make, I came across some random recipe for Parmesan polenta.  At the top, in italics, it said:

“This easy side dish would be great with the pork chops, the stuffed mushrooms, or the sirloin tip steaks.”

One thing you should know about me is that I’m a terrible reader sometimes.  I’ll skim things quickly, resulting in me missing the point most of the time.  So, at first glance, I thought that rather direct statement was implying that I should stuff the mushrooms with the polenta.

I thought about how awesome that idea was.  I mean, c’mon, we already know I love stuffed mushrooms.

It wasn’t until I actually slowed down and re-read the sentence I realized that I was looking at a regular ol’ side dish recipe.

“Eff that,” I proclaimed.  No kitchen gurus at Gourmet were going to stop me from piling the crap out of some food.  I like mushrooms.  I like polenta.    This is America, dammit, and no one was going to tell me that I had to eat segregated food.

It was going to be a mini revolution in my kitchen.  I was going to get my stack on.

Asiago, Shitaki & Thyme Polenta Stuffed Portabellas — This one came from yours truly.

INGREDIENTS:

Four (4) 4″ – 6″ Portabella mushroom caps, stemmed and cleaned out

One (1) 18-oz tube of ready-made heat-and-serve polenta (I usually get mine at Trader Joe’s, but there are other varieties!)

One (1) cup finely to medium chopped Shitaki mushroom caps

One and a half (1-1/2) cups Asiago, freshly grated, plus 1/2-cup set aside

One (1) garlic clove, minced

One (1) tablespoon fresh Thyme leaves, lightly chopped

One (1) tablespoon olive oil, plus more for brushing

Freshly ground salt & pepper

DIRECTIONS:

1.  Pre-heat oven to 350-degrees.

2.  In an oven-safe casserole dish or bowl, thoroughly combine the polenta (which will require some mashing), chopped Shitaki mushroom caps, thyme, garlic, and the cup and a half of Asiago cheese.

3. Mix in the tablespoon of olive oil.  Salt and pepper to taste.

4. Bake your polenta mixture for about 10 – 12 minutes.

5. Brush the tops and insides of the Portabella caps with olive oil.

6.  When the polenta is finished, remove from the oven.  Set aside.  Turn your oven to its broiler setting.

7.  Broil mushroom caps for 5 – 6 minutes.

8.  Give your polenta a quick stir, then spoon into mushroom caps, equally distributing all of the polenta between the mushrooms.

9.  Top each mushroom with remaining 1/2-cup of Asiago.

10.  Broil again for 5 minutes.

Serve hot and enjoy!

Tagged as: cheese, main dish, mushrooms, polenta, thyme, vegetarian