Recipe

Polenta Breakfast Bake

Prep Time: 5 min
Cook Time: 1 hr 20 min
Serves: 10

Brunch is meant to be that lazy meal you enjoy somewhere between breakfast and lunch with great friends! This breakfast bake couldn’t be easier and can be made the day before so you just need to pop it into the oven before guests arrive. This dish is naturally gluten free and delicious leftovers for lunch during the week.

Ingredients

1 tbsp (15 mL) extra virgin olive oil
2 chicken fennel sausage, casing removed and discarded
2 cups (500 mL) sliced roasted red peppers
1 tsp (5 mL) dried thyme
2 tsp (10 mL) dried oregano
4 cups (1 L) skim milk
1 cup (250 mL) uncooked quick-cooking polenta
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 tsp (2.5 mL) salt (or to taste)
3/4 cup (175 mL) freshly grated goat’s cheese
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
cooking spray

Instructions

1 Heat oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add sausage and sauté until browned, 4 minutes. Add roasted red peppers, thyme, oregano, and garlic; sauté for 5 minutes until softened. Remove from heat.
2 Add milk to a large saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium-low heat. Gradually whisk in polenta. Add ½ teaspoon (0.5 mL) of salt. Continue to whisk over a simmer for 7 minutes until thickened. Use a long handled spoon or whisk to avoid splatters from the polenta.
3 Remove from the heat. Whisk in half the cheese until melted. Let the mixture stand for 10-15 minutes. Whisk in sausage mixture and eggs. Pour into an 8 x 8 inch (20 x 20 cm) oven safe baking dish coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle with remaining goat's cheese. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until the dish has cooled; about 1 hour and up to overnight.
4 Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C). Uncover the dish and bake in the center of the oven for 20 minutes or until set. Preheat the broiler to high and broil for 3-5 minutes until the top of the polenta is toasted. Let the polenta stand for 5 minutes before serving.