Name: Easy Oven-Baked Polenta and Mushrooms Skillet
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 55 min
Total time: 1 h 5 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 ½ pounds mushrooms (i.e., shitake, oyster, chanterelle, maitake, crimini); 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil; 1 lemon, juiced; 3 cloves garlic, minced; ¼ teaspoon salt (optional); ¼ teaspoon black pepper; 2 tablespoons fresh thyme (or 2 teaspoons dried thyme), plus more garnish, if desired; 5 cups water; 2 cups polenta, dried; 1 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil; ¼ teaspoon salt (optional); ¼ teaspoon black pepper; 4 ounces (1/2 cup) vegan parmesan, shredded or shaved (i.e., Follow Your Heart or Violife); 1 cup plant-based milk, plain, unsweetened (i.e., oat, soy, or almond); Thyme leaves; Freshly ground black pepper; Course sea salt

Sharon Palmer RD

Published on December 5, 2025

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Roasted Polenta and Mushrooms Skillet with Thyme — A Cozy Vegan, Gluten-Free Main Dish

Warm, cozy, and full of savory flavor, this Oven-Baked Polenta and Mushrooms Skillet is the perfect recipe when you want something simple yet incredibly satisfying. Creamy polenta bakes to perfection in the oven while hearty mushrooms roast until they’re golden and infused with fragrant thyme. This comforting dish is completely vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, and plant-based, making it ideal for weeknight dinners, elegant entertaining, or holiday meals. Serve it as a flavorful main dish, a hearty side, or a festive addition to your seasonal menu. With minimal prep and just a handful of wholesome ingredients, this easy oven-roasted recipe brings rustic, earthy flavors to the table with effortless style

This baked polenta recipe is so easy! Just get your mushrooms ready on a baking sheet, and while they are roasting, cook the polenta over the stove, then transfer it to the oven with the mushrooms to finish baking. When you’re done, you’ll enjoy this hearty polenta skillet recipe, which you can serve right out of the skillet–no extra cleanup required. The oven roasted mushrooms add a rich savory quality to the earthy polenta bake. Get it on the table in under an hour (most of that time is letting the oven do the work!). With just 7 ingredients (not including pantry staples) you can put together a truly awesome meal that is excellent for busy weeknights, special meals, holidays, and potlucks. What to serve with polenta? This recipe is hearty enough to be the main event, but you can also consider it a side dish to accompany protein-based dishes, such as lentil patties or nut loaves. I like to serve it with a crisp vegetable salad to finish off the meal.

Polenta vs Grits

What is the difference between polenta and grits? What is polenta? Well, they are both made from ground corn, but grits originated with Native American food traditions that crossed over into American Southern food culture. Grits are made from dent corn and it is usually white (but can also be yellow or blue if special corn varieties are used). Grits is usually ground more finely and has a stronger corn flavor. Polenta originated in Northern Italy and is made from flint corn that is yellow (sometimes it can be a white corn variety). Polenta is usually ground to medium-coarse texture and has a milder corn flavor.

Is Polenta Gluten-Free?

Yes, polenta is made from corn, so it is naturally gluten-free. The only issue might be cross contamination in the food production system. If you are concerned about gluten, look for a gluten-free certification symbol on packages.

Is Polenta Healthy?

Yes, polenta is a healthy, nutrient-rich grain product that is part of healthy, traditional diets. Some polenta may have parts of the grain removed, so it may not be considered a whole grain.

Dried flint corn for sale at the Ojai farmers market. I used this corn in this recipe for polenta, but you can use store bought polenta too.

For this recipe, I was lucky enough to find flint corn grown by a local farmer in Ojai. I ground it myself, so it was 100% whole grain! If you are fortunate enough to buy dried flint corn, you can easily grind it in a high-powered blender for a few minutes until it reaches a medium ground texture.

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