This creamy polenta breakfast bowl is topped with with roasted tomatoes and a fried egg. The polenta bowl is delicious for breakfast, lunch, or dinner and is a creamy and hearty meal.
Sometimes I love sweet breakfasts, sometimes I gravitate towards savory. And this polenta breakfast bowl hits all the savory breakfast notes. Creamy, yet decadent, and contains veggies! And an egg, so it's got protein too.
Tomatoes and basil are such a perfect pairing. Tomatoes are even better when they are all roasted and blistered and delicious.
Pair that with cheesy polenta and a fried egg, and you have a meal that is perfect for any time of the day. I've eaten this for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and it really hits the spot no matter what.
I love homemade polenta, and that's what really takes this polenta breakfast bowl to the next level. You can buy polenta in tubes at the store, but homemade is so much better.
This polenta is perfectly soft and creamy and cheesy. It takes a little more effort, of course, because you're stirring this polenta at the stove for a bit, but it's worth it.
Ingredients
- Roma or Campari tomatoes
- Dried cornmeal or polenta
- Chicken or vegetable stock
- Fresh basil
- Parmesan cheese
- Sharp cheddar cheese
- Butter
- Olive oil
- Salt and pepper
- Eggs
What to do if your polenta starts sticking together
When you're cooking polenta, you are constantly supposed to stir it over low heat to make sure it doesn't start sticking together and get lumpy.
If you find that your polenta is getting lumpy, take a whisk and try to whisk out the lumps until your polenta is smooth again.
How to reheat leftover polenta
If you've made homemade polenta before, you know that once you stick it in the fridge, it doesn't keep that same, creamy texture. It kinda loses moisture and doesn't reheat well. You have a few options!
I typically stick the leftover polenta in a pot and add in a little more chicken stock or liquid, and start stirring until the liquid is incorporated and the polenta breaks up.
Then I'll take a whisk to help break up any clumps, and whisk and then heat over low until the mixture turns creamy again. If needed, I'll add a touch more butter for richness.
The second thing you can do is press the polenta together to form cakes. Then heat a little oil in a skillet, and fry the polenta to make polenta cakes. Serve with tomato sauce and sausages or even a meat sauce.
How to customize the polenta breakfast bowl
- Serve with a poached egg (I love air fryer poached eggs) or soft-boiled egg instead of a fried egg (air fryer jammy eggs are delicious!)
- Top with cilantro or fresh parsley
- Shake a little hot sauce or sriracha over the top
- Sprinkle some dried red chili flakes or sliced jalapeno over the top for a little heat
Like this recipe? Try these too!
- Beef Stew with cheesy polenta
- Roasted Butternut Squash Soup
- Breakfast Tostada
- Bananas Foster French Toast
- Air fryer twisted bacon
How to make the polenta breakfast bowl
The first step is to start the polenta!
In a large pot, boil the chicken/veggie stock, and then add the polenta, and whisk and turn the heat to low. Stir with a wooden spoon continually (taking slight breaks to make the other parts of the recipe).
You'll be stirring for almost 25-30 minutes. The key to knowing when it's done is when you can stand up your spoon in the pot without it falling over.
While the polenta is cooking, heat 1 tablespoon in a skillet and then add the tomatoes, cooking, flipping a bit, until the tomatoes are blistered and soft.
Once the polenta is done, add the cheeses and butter and stir until combined.
Cook up two fried eggs.
Add the polenta to two bowls, then divide the tomatoes between the bowls, and then top with the fried eggs, fresh basil, and a sprinkling of salt and pepper.
More breakfast recipes
- Air fryer poached eggs
- Air fryer twisted bacon
- Feta scrambled eggs
- Sweet potato breakfast bowl
- Migas breakfast tacos
- Egg and basil sandwich
Other recipes to love
Polenta Breakfast Bowl
Ingredients
- 1 cup dry polenta or cornmeal
- 3 cups chicken or vegetable stock
- 2 tablespoon butter
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- ¼ cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 6 roma or campari tomatoes
- 2 eggs
- 2 tablespoon fresh basil, sliced
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- In a large pot, add the chicken stock and bring to a boil. One boiling, whisk in the polenta and turn to low heat. Continually stir polenta for 25-30 minutes until thick (a spoon can almost stand up without being held).
- Once polenta is done, add the butter and cheeses and stir to combine.
- While polenta is cooking, add heat 1 tablespoon oil in a skillet and heat over medium heat. Add tomatoes and cook until softened and blistered.
- Into another skillet, add another tablespoon oil and heat over medium-high heat. Crack two eggs into the skillet and fry until done. (Depending on the size of your skillet, you may need to do one at a time).
- Divide polenta between two bowls. Add three tomatoes to each bowl and one fried egg. Top with basil, salt and pepper.
Nutrition
If nutrition info is shown, values are based on an online calculator and are estimates. Please verify using your own data.
Alix @A Hedgehog in the Kitchen
Staycations are great fun too! Look at this beautiful dish you made as a result! :) Wine + IKEA are always great too! :) Thanks for sharing. We haven't made polenta in a while and this recipe looks yummy!
Krystal
This looks so delicious!!
Aimee
Thank you!