A homemade meal with gourmet flair, this Easy Vegan Oyster Mushroom Polenta is baked in the oven for the ultimate no-fuss dinner with incredible umami flavor.
Easy Oven Baked Polenta
Cooking at home on a busy weeknight is hard. Given the abundance of restaurants available shows how little people really do cook at home.
However, cooking an easy meal at home doesn’t mean that you have to sacrifice incredible flavor. This hands-free oven baked polenta is just as phenomenal as its traditional counterpart, but with a fraction of the effort required.
By baking polenta, you remove the tedious step of needing to stir frequently. Therefore, you can simply put it in the oven and let the timer do the work.
Umami Rich Mushrooms
Oyster mushrooms are terrific for roasting. Their size and shape allow the mushrooms to retain tenderness while also developing crispy bits while they roast.
For this recipe, the mushrooms cook alongside the polenta for a fantastic meal with little to no effort required once they are in the oven.
After cooking, the creamy and cheesy polenta is topped with the garlicky roasted mushrooms for a completely satisfying plant-based meal.
WHAT YOU WILL NEED:
- Oyster Mushrooms – Delicate and subtle, oyster mushrooms become meaty and intense once roasted.
- Polenta – Creamy and healthy polenta becomes a wonderful and satisfying base for the flavorful mushrooms.
- Vegan Parmesan Cheese – By stirring vegan Parmesan into the cooked polenta, it adds needed salt and an irresistible cheesiness.
- Garlic – Roasting garlic along with the mushrooms, elevates the mushrooms and makes this a restaurant dish, at home.
- Fresh Thyme – The scent of thyme fills the room as this recipe cooks. The perfect herb for this dish.
- Vegan Butter – Adding vegan butter to the polenta while it cooks, helps prevent the polenta from sticking together as it cooks.
- Vegetable Broth or Water – Yes. Water can be used to hydrate the polenta. But, using vegetable broth will add even more flavor, ensuring zero leftovers.
FAQ & Easy Vegan Oyster Mushroom Polenta Tips:
-
What type of pan should I use for the baked polenta?
- Use an oven-safe pan with a lid. We like to use a coated cast iron pan for this recipe.
-
Can this recipe be made in advance?
-
Mix it Up
- Instead of oyster mushrooms, use button, portobello, or even maitake mushrooms in this recipe.
-
Make it Extra Fancy
A Gourmet Meal at Home
This savory polenta is fancy enough to be served at an expensive restaurant but you can enjoy it on a busy weeknight at home thanks to the time-saving cooking methods. Best yet, serve this meal to thoroughly impress your dinner guests but don’t worry it will be our secret. 😉 Enjoy!
Tell Us What You Think
We love seeing when you share our recipes! Please tag us on Instagram @meatlessmakeovers so we can see your fabulous creations. You can also find us on Tik Tok, Facebook, Pinterest, YouTube, and Twitter.
We’d love to know what you thought of this oyster mushroom polenta! Don’t forget to leave a comment and star rating ⭐️ below! Thank you in advance for your feedback!
Step-by-Step Instructional Photos
Easy Vegan Oyster Mushroom Polenta
- Prep Time: 10 min.
- Cook Time: 30 min.
- Total Time: 40 min.
- Yield: 4 Servings 1x
- Category: Entree
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: Italian
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Make this easy vegan oyster mushroom baked polenta on a busy weeknight for the ultimate homemade gourmet meal. It’s cheesy, rich, and satisfying!
Ingredients
- 16 oz. Fresh Oyster Mushroom (Torn into Bite-Sized Pieces)
- 5 Cloves Garlic (Crushed)
- 6 Sprigs Fresh Thyme (More for Garnish)
- 1/4 Cup Olive Oil
- 4.5 Cups Water or Vegetable Stock
- 2 Tbsp Vegan Butter
- 1 Cup Dry Polenta
- 1 Cup Vegan Parmesan Cheese (More for Garnish)
Instructions
- Place two racks in the oven, one low and one high, preheat the oven to 350°F. Place the separated mushrooms on a baking sheet along with the thyme sprigs and crushed garlic cloves. Pour the oil on top and toss to coat thoroughly, season with salt and pepper to taste. Place on the top rack of the oven.
- While the mushrooms roast, place a deep oven-safe pan on the stove. Pour in the water and let it come to a boil over medium/high heat.
- Once boiling, add the butter and a pinch of salt. Once the butter has melted, pour in the polenta and stir to combine. Allow the mixture to return to a simmer, cover and carefully place the dish into the lower rack of the oven. Allow to cook for 20 minutes.
- Flip the mushrooms after ten minutes. Once the time is done, remove the polenta from the oven and check for tenderness. Allow the polenta to cook for an additional 5 minutes if the texture is too hard. Check the mushrooms at this time as well.
- When the mushrooms are done to your liking, remove the garlic cloves from the baking sheet and mince. Return the minced garlic to the pan and combine with the roasted mushrooms.
- Once the polenta is done, carefully stir, making sure to stir the cooked polenta from the bottom of the pot thoroughly.
- Stir in the Parmesan until the polenta is smooth.
- Spoon the polenta onto serving plates and top with roasted mushrooms. Garnish with extra grated Parmesan cheese and fresh thyme leaves, if desired. Serve immediately and enjoy!
Equipment
Earth Balance Vegan Buttery Sticks
Buy Now →Notes
- The equipment listed above contains affiliate links to products that we personally use, love, and recommend!