If you haven’t tried polenta, it’s safe to say you may be missing out on a savory version of oatmeal (and we all know how cozy and delicious a hot bowl of oatmeal can be!). Here polenta, or corn grits as it’s sometimes referred to, is jazzed up with wild mushrooms, fresh herbs, and rounded off with a buttery barbeque tang. Give it a spin.

Ingredients
- 1/4 cup Ava Jane’s Kitchen Avocado Oil
- 1.5 lbs mushrooms sliced
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme
- 3 cloves garlic smashed
- 2 tsp Ava Jane's Kitchen Los Muertos Barbecue
- 1.5 cups dry, instant Polenta also called corn grits
- 3 tbsp grass-fed butter
- pinch crushed red pepper flakes
- to taste Colima Sea Salt and pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325ºF.
- On a rimmed baking sheet, combine the avocado oil, mushrooms, thyme, garlic, and a pinch each of salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes.
- Move to the oven and bake for 20-30 minutes.
- Increase the heat to 475ºF and toss the mushrooms, then return to the oven and let bake for another 5 minutes until crisp on the edges (watch closely).
- While the mushrooms are cooking, make the polenta.
- In a medium saucepan, bring 4 cups water to a boil over medium heat. Slowly whisk in the polenta, stirring until it is soft and thick, about 5 minutes. Stir in the butter and Los Muertos spice blend. If the polenta thickens too much, thin with additional water.
- Serve the polenta with mushrooms spooned over top, followed by fresh thyme and a drizzle of additional avocado oil.
Nutrition
Calories: 306kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 15mg | Sodium: 59mg | Potassium: 426mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 287IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 11mg | Iron: 1mg
When do you add the Barbeque seasoning?
Hi Carol-
With the butter.