Ciao Chow Linda

Polenta Breakfast Bake

Author: The New York Times via Ciao Chow Linda

Prep time: 15 mins

Cook time: 15 mins

Total time: 30 mins

Serves: serves 6-8

Easy and delicious, make-ahead, cheese polenta breakfast bake

Ingredients

• 2 T. unsalted butter, plus more for greasing the casserole

• 1 cup quick cooking polenta (NOT the kind already made in a tube)

• 1/2 t. sea salt

• 1 cup whole milk

• 1/2 cup/2 ounces fontina or mozzarella cheese (I used about 3 oz. of a herbal Boursin cheese)

• 5 ounces cooked bacon (or sausage, salami or ham) – optional

• 1 cup spinach leaves

• 6 large eggs (or 8 if your casserole is large enough)

• 1/2 cup/2 ounces parmesan cheese

• ground black pepper

• 1/4 cup basil leaves to scatter

Instructions

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Generously butter a 9 x 13 inch casserole and set aside.

3. Cook the bacon in the oven on a baking sheet at 400 degrees for about 15 minutes or until crisp. (This can be done the day before.)

4. Pour 4 cups of water in a large pot and gradually whisk in the polenta and salt.

5. Cook, switching from a whisk to a wooden spoon, stirring constantly until the polenta bubbles and pulls away from the pan, about 3 minutes.

6. Vigorously stir in the milk, butter and cheese until smooth and creamy. (It will seem loose.)

7. Spread the polenta onto the bottom of the prepared pan.

8. Using the back of a spoon, or a small bowl, make indentations in the polenta for the eggs.

9. (The polenta can be cooked the day before.)

10. When ready to bake, scatter some of the spinach over the polenta and crack the eggs into the wells.

11. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and bake until the eggs have reached the doneness you prefer.

12. After 20 minutes, my whites were just cooked and the yolks appeared a bit runny. I would have preferred them runnier, but the whites took longer to set than the yolks.

13. Sprinkle with black pepper, scatter some basil leaves over everything, and serve, with buttered toast made from good, sturdy bread.