Parmesan Polenta Cake with Mushroom & Sausage Hash
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I’m taking a break from my sugar high {due to too many of these bad boys} to bring you a very fancy dinner with some not so fancy ingredients. {Love these kinds of meals!} This is the kind of dinner that you can dress up if you have company, or just throw on your plate if you’re in a hurry. And, it tastes good too. That’s always a plus, right?
Parmesan + Polenta = yummy.
Sausage + mushroom = amazingness.
Put the two together?
It’s like heaven in your mouth. Creamy polenta with salty italian sausage with some extra veggies….ya know, to make it healthy! Ha! Did I mention I made a little cream sauce amongst the hash too? Yeah. That was the right decision. {And that’s when I lost the whole ‘healthy dinner’ concept.}
It’s ok to splurge every once in a while, right?
Anyways, we loved this meal and think you all will too.
A few recipe notes: I used precooked Italian CHICKEN sausage. It was a new organic brand of sausages I found at my grocery store. Feel free to use any kind you like. I also used a small package baby bella mushrooms {you know, those blue styrofoam trays with the prewashed mushrooms inside}. That package was 8 ounces. Don’t be thrown off by that increment. I think that’s just about it! Happy cooking! 🙂

Parmesan Polenta Cake with Mushroom & Sausage Hash
Ingredients
for the polenta:
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 1 1/2 cups milk
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup polenta
- 3 tablespoon butter divided
- 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese use the real stuff!
for the hash:
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 small onion diced
- 1 large clove garlic minced
- 1 cup diced carrot
- 8 oz baby bella mushrooms quartered
- 4 precooked Italian chicken sausages sliced
- salt & pepper
- 1/8 teaspoon ground thyme
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- parmesan cheese for garnish
- fresh parsley for garnish
Instructions
- For the polenta {*see recipe notes below}- Bring water, milk and salt to boil. {Watch it carefully!} Whisk in polenta and cook 25-30 minutes until very thick, stirring frequently. Remove from heat and stir in 1 tablespoon butter and parmesan cheese. Grease a 9x9 square baking dish and spread polenta evenly into dish. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until dinner.
- For the hash- Place large skillet over medium heat and melt butter. Stir in onions and carrots and saute 5 minutes. Stir in garlic, mushrooms and sausage and cook another 10 minutes until veggies and sausage have browned. Stir in seasonings and de-glaze the pan with chicken broth. Reduce heat to low and stir in cream. Keep warm over low heat until ready to serve.
- For serving- Preheat large {preferrably non-stick} skillet to medium high heat. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in pan. Remove polenta from fridge and cut into 4 large circles {or cut into squares to have no ugly edges to fry up!} Place in hot pan and fry 2-3 minutes per side or until browned and crispy. Remove from pan and place polenta circles onto servings platter. Top with hash, more parmesan cheese and fresh parsley. Serve hot.
Great recipe, Lauren! I need to experiment with polenta more, and I think this is a great place to start. 🙂
I haven’t worked much with polenta either, but I love it!
I actually have not worked with polenta before, but I do love it! I will try these 🙂
It’s SO easy! You should buy some pronto!
I need to try this! I love polenta cakes!
Oh my LORD woman, I just fell out of my chair and hit my head face first on the ground.
Polenta and I are in love, so this is right up my alley.
Once I heal from the fall, I’ll make this. Wow.
Sounds like quite the injury! Haha!
It was totally yummy, Lauren! Thank you for introducing us to all your new meal ideas! Yummy…
Anytime! It’s what I do!
These look seriously amazing! Just started following you 😉
Thanks for the follow, Kathleen!
ooh, that looks so good. i’ve never made polenta in my life… you will be my inspiration. 🙂
Glad I can inspire you, Honey! 🙂
I love polenta! Can’t wait to try this one! I will leave out the sausage for a veggie version:)
I keep forgetting you’re a vegetarian! I’ll have to post some Maria-friendly recipes soon!
Printing this out. You’ve literally concocted my husband’s dream meal. For realz.
This looks fabulous, Lauren. I’ve never tried polenta, but it’s something I keep thinking I should attempt. This combination looks delicious.
Polenta cakes are my go-to weeknight dinner! Sometimes I let leftover polenta cool, cut it into squares and fry it the next day before topping it with a mushroom-marsala sauce. Your version with sausage looks more man-friendly!–Mr. Dessert For Two thanks you 🙂
I never thought of this as being man-friendly, but I guess all the sausages ups the male likability factor! Ha!
Anytime polenta and cheese are combined, I’m sold!!! Looks great!
I’m a cheese die-hard too. It makes anything taste good!
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You really have some lovely recipes and beautiful photography! 🙂 I’m so glad I’ve found your site. Guess what, I just became your newest follower! Take care and see you around!
Amy
I’m trying these tonight! The polenta mix is currently in the fridge 🙂 It looks like such a nice and relatively simple recipe and I love parmesan and polenta so I feel I’m going to have a very happy dinner!
[…] Original Recipe for the Polenta Cakes are adapted from Lauren’s Latest […]
I have a healthy obsession with polenta!! I like the additions I cant wait to make it! I think I may cheat and buy the store bought polenta you can cut at whole foods lol
Absolutely love me some polenta! Beautiful dish Lauren.
[…] RECIPE […]
[…] This polenta and hash recipe from Lauren at Lauren’s Latest is as tasty as any dish you’ll find at a fancy brunch spot. It’s actually better, because it hasn’t been marred with the addition of a runny fried egg. […]
yes, I’m definitely making this tonight or tomorrow for family dinner!
I am obsessed with this recipe I have been coming back to it for YEARS and every time it is a hit. It has been an absolute staple in my arsenal of good cookin!