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Creamy, buttery Pesto Polenta with Thyme Roasted Mushrooms and Chickpeas …a delicious bowl of late summer comfort food. This simple pesto polenta is made in under an hour, uses just one sheet pan and one pot, and is a great way to use up those garden herbs. The polenta is creamy, perfectly buttery, and swirled with pesto. The wild mushrooms and chickpeas are slowly roasted together with fresh thyme and garlic. When spooned over bowls of creamy polenta, it makes for a simple, healthy-ish, and delicious dinner that’s great for any night of the week.
This post is sponsored by Land O’Lakes.
And just like that, September hits, my oven is on, and I’m roasting mushrooms.
It’s crazy how much I love this time of year. I live for these golden September days, and my creativity thrives once fall really sets in. I know it’s only early September, but I’m slowly ready to start incorporating a bit more “coziness” into everyone’s kitchens.
It’s all getting started with this polenta, which I personally think is the perfect cozy…ish, transitional recipe to welcome the cooler days ahead.
One of my favorite parts about this recipe?
It’s so quick and easy to make. It uses just one sheet pan and one pot, and allows the oven to do all the work for you! Love a more hands-free recipe.
So here are the details on how I like to prepare this colorful, delicious dinner.
Your first step is to get the mushrooms and chickpeas roasting in the oven. After a lot of trial and error, I found the perfect method for getting insanely flavorful mushrooms and perfectly crisp chickpeas…slow roasting.
Start by tossing the mushrooms and chickpeas with olive oil, plenty of fresh thyme, garlic, salt, and pepper. You’ll want to make sure to coat everything well in olive oil to ensure the mushrooms turn golden and the chickpeas are crisp. The key here is to first roast the chickpeas at a lower oven temperature. Then crank the heat up for the final few minutes of cooking. This chars the mushrooms on the edges and gets the chickpeas golden and crispy.
While that’s happening, make the polenta on the stove. If you’ve never made homemade polenta, I’m excited to introduce you to it. It’s delicious and so easy to make.
I like to use instant polenta to keep the cooking process quick and effortless. Simply boil water, whisk in the polenta, and allow to cook for a few minutes until it’s thick and creamy. It’s that simple.
The most important ingredient when making polenta – the butter. If there’s one thing my mom taught me about cooking polenta…if you really want it to taste delicious…add butter! Yep, she’s pretty smart.
So, I turned to one of my favorites, Land O Lakes® Butter with Olive Oil and Sea Salt.
What I love about this butter is that it quickly melts into the polenta, flavoring it with hints of sweet cream, savory olive oil, and flaky sea salt. It’s the perfect balance and really helps to highlight the flavors and creaminess of the polenta.
Beyond delicious.
Since I wanted to keep the recipe full of healthy ingredients, I stirred in green kale…a superfood powerhouse. If you don’t love kale, spinach is an equally great alternative.
By the time everything is finished roasting, the polenta will be ready. Now it’s time to serve everything up. You know me, I have to go a little above and beyond, so here’s exactly how I plate this dish.
Spoon the polenta into your favorite bowls…I’m all about making things extra pretty. Swirl a few spoonfuls of pesto over the polenta, then add burrata cheese. You might not think the cheese is necessary. But if you really want to do this dinner right, trust me, add the burrata.
Next, spoon those thyme-roasted mushrooms and crisp chickpeas over the polenta. Finish with a pat more of butter…you must do this, it’s just too good not to. And a pinch of flaky sea salt.
The perfect bowl of polenta – topped with golden roasted mushrooms, crisp chickpeas, and just a little burrata too. It does not getter better.
My suggestion to you? Once that first cool afternoon blows in, plan to make this. It’s such a great bowl to cozy up to when the weather cools off.
If you make this Pesto Polenta with Thyme Roasted Mushrooms and Chickpeas, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Watch The How To Video:
Pesto Polenta with Thyme-Roasted Mushrooms and Chickpeas
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 649 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 1/2 pounds wild mushrooms, roughly torn
- 1 can (14 ounce) chickpeas, drained and patted dry
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme
- 6 cloves garlic, smashed
- kosher salt and black pepper
- 1 pinch crushed red pepper flakes
Creamy Polenta
- 1 1/2 cups dry instant polenta
- 3 tablespoons Land O Lakes® Butter with Olive Oil and Sea Salt
- 1/2 bunch kale or baby spinach, chopped
- 1/3 cup basil pesto, homemade or store-bought
- 8 ounces burrata cheese, at room temperature
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Position the oven rack in the upper 1/3 of
the oven. 2. On a rimmed baking sheet, combine the olive oil, mushrooms, chickpeas, thyme,
garlic, and a pinch each of salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes.
Transfer to the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes. Increase the heat to 475
degrees F. Toss the mushrooms and chickpeas, then return to the oven and
continue baking another 5-10 minutes until crisp on the edges. Watch closely. 3. Meanwhile, make the polenta. In a medium saucepan, bring 4 cups water to a boil
over medium heat. Slowly whisk in the polenta, stirring until the polenta is
soft and thick, about 5 minutes. Stir in the butter with olive oil, kale, and 2
tablespoons pesto, stirring until the kale has wilted, about 3 minutes. If the polenta thickens too much, thin with additional water.4. Divide the polenta between bowls and break the burrata over the polenta. Spoon the mushrooms and chickpeas over tip. Drizzle with addition pesto. Enjoy!
{This post is sponsored by Land O’Lakes. Thank you for supporting the brands that keep Half Baked Harvest cooking!}
HI! How would you alter with refrigerated polenta rather than. Dry?
Hey Julia! Is it in a tube? I am not familiar with this ingredient, so I am not sure. Maybe just warm it up and serve with the mushrooms? I think that should be great as long as it is warm. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
What if I only have standard dry polenta (not instant). Any adjustments for that? I’d love to make this recipe for my girlfriends next weekend, but only have the Red Mill polenta corn grits on hand (and would love to not have to purchase something if I don’t have to!).
Thank you!
Hey Katherine! You can use an equal amount of polenta and follow the directions as directed, BUT cook your polenta for a longer time. Just add the polenta, cover and cook the polenta for 30-40 minutes. This should be enough time for the polenta to absorb the water and be fully cooked!! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan ??
Another great recipe! I love all of your stuff. I made this last weekend and it is packed full of flavor. I had lot of potatoes from my Misfit Market box so made this over garlic mashed potatoes instead but still delicious!
I am so happy to hear that Melissa! Thank you! xTieghan
I made this tonight and it was really good! The flavors blended well together and I thought it was perfect for dinner. Watch your chickpeas, I went on the longer side to get them nice and crispy which adds a nice texture. I omitted the cheese on mine as I’m lactose intolerant but I didn’t miss it!
Amazing! Thank you for trying this Jane! So glad it turned out so well! xTieghan
Super delicious and so simple and easy to make and the presentation looks superb! You can’t skip out on the burratta, it adds a delicious salty, creamy freshness and completes the dish perfectly. Tasted great as leftovers reheated too! Will definitely be making this again!
Thank you Laura! Happy to hear you loved this recipe! X Kelly
Made this on Tuesday and my husband and I absolutely loved it! I used shiitake and maitake mushrooms. I think next time, I will roast the chickpeas on their own for 10 or 15 minutes first before throwing in the mushrooms, as the mushrooms got a little crispier than I had wanted. Other than that, another top-notch recipe from HBH! I pretty much only cook your recipes now because I know I’m going to be pleased with the results!
So glad you and your husband loved this one, Meredith! I hope you love every other recipe you try of mine!! xTieghan
This looks great! Do you know approximate calories per serving?
Hi Bryan! I am sorry, I do not have the calories for this recipe at this time. I will work to get them added. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
Oh my, oh my, oh myyyyy! This is SO good and actually super easy. We didn’t have fresh thyme at our grocery store so I was worried it would be a little dull, but it turned out so delicious even with dried herbs. Adding to the rotation! Thank you!
I am so happy to hear that! Thank you! xTieghan
sounds amazing! I was just wondering- any tips for reheating the polenta for left overs?
Hey Emma! When reheating polenta I like to do either on the stove or in the microwave. I add an addition 1/4 cup milk or water…and then usually about 1 tablespoon of butter to help it come back to life! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
I feel like the last step or two of the recipe are missing. What do you do with the remaining pesto?
Hey Amanda! I am so sorry, the last step somehow got deleted. it is there now! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
Went with yellow squash instead of mushrooms because I’m allergic, and it was delicious!! Love the combination of flavors.
Thank you Veronica! xTieghan
Would love to serve this with a protein – what kind of meat do you think would compliment without overpowering?
Hi Jess! I recommend a simple roasted chicken. Maybe with garlic, herbs and lemon! YUM! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
Those mushrooms look really mouthwatering 🙂 What a great recipe idea – pinned!
Thank you so much! I hope you love this recipe! xTieghan
Can I sub grits for polenta?And cremini for the wild mushrooms… limited options at the grocery store.
Hi Kim! Yes, grits and cremini mushrooms will be great. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
We’ve been making a conscious effort to eat less meat, and this recipe was just the ticket! Plus, anything with a side of burrata?!?! Yes, please! Not only was it delicious (such a great fall medley of flavors), but it was also very satisfying! I actually couldn’t finish all my portion as the polenta and chickpeas really fill you up, but I’m pumped to have leftovers tomorrow! Thanks for such a yummy recipe!
Thank you so much Kate!! I am so glad you loved this one! xTieghan