This breakfast polenta casserole features bacon (or sausage!), spinach, and cheese for a decadent but simple start to your day!
I love this breakfast recipe for a variety of reasons, but one of the best ones is that it combines ALL of the breakfast items. Can’t decide between eggs, bacon, greek yogurt, vegetables or something cheesy? Boom, here’s all of them.
I would describe this breakfast polenta casserole as medium-labor-intensive and I don’t always have time to make it in the morning. But the great news is this can be assembled the night before and then popped in the oven the next morning. When you get to the step where you pour it in the casserole dish, instead of baking, set aside and let cool completely. Don’t put the cheese on it. Once its cooled, cover it with aluminum foil and store it in the fridge. It can last up to 3 days pre-made in the fridge!
When ready to bake, remove aluminum foil, cover in cheese and then re-cover. I recommend leaving your breakfast polenta casserole on the counter at room temperature while your oven preheats. Depending on how much it warms, you may need to add 5-10 minutes to the baking time.
In that same vein, this recipe also reheats very well. It makes 4 pretty large servings so around here we will often split it over the course of a couple days. This also means it makes a great option for the ever elusive breakfast meal prep. Just divide it up between four containers and you are all set!
I often eat this by itself although it could be paired with a crisp salad or fruit salad for brunch. Or, it goes well with a toasted piece of crusty bread and butter. I have also enjoyed it with marinara drizzled on top.
Looking for more killer breakfast recipes? Check out my Potato Pancakes, Swedish Pancakes or Mediterranean Tofu Scramble recipes!
Breakfast Polenta Casserole
Ingredients
- 1/2 large yellow onion (about 1 cup after dicing)
- 4 slices thick-cut bacon (or 2-3 breakfast sausage links)
- 2 cups whole milk
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup dry yellow cornmeal (polenta)
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 bunch fresh spinach
- 1 6-oz container greek yogurt (about 1/2 cup)
- salt + pepper, to taste
- 4 eggs
- 3/4 cup shredded cheese of choice
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450. Lightly grease a 9x9 baking pan.
- Medium dice the yellow onion and set aside. Roughly chop bacon into bite-sized pieces.
- Heat a large pot over medium heat. Cook bacon for 5-10 minutes, or until crispy. Cook your bacon a little crispier than you normally would, as it will soften over the rest of the cooking process.
- Add onions to the pot and cook for another 7 or so minutes, until translucent. Stir often to scrape up any browned bits.
- Add milk and chicken broth to the pot and stir. Bring to a boil.
- Lower the heat to simmer and whisk in yellow cornmeal and garlic powder. Pour the cornmeal slowly and evenly, and use a whisk to prevent clumping. Cook for 20 minutes, stirring often.
- Tear the spinach leaves from the stems and stir them into the pot along with the greek yogurt. Cook for another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Remove from heat. Add salt and pepper to taste (I almost never need to add salt at this point). Stir in eggs.
- Pour the mixture evenly into the greased baking pan. Sprinkle the top with cheese. Cover with aluminum foil.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes covered; remove foil and bake for another 5 minutes uncovered. Divide into 4 portions and serve.
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