Italian Polenta Breakfast Casserole
A delicious breakfast/brunch option that's easy to put together and prep ahead, this Italian Polenta Breakfast Casserole is loaded with flavor and makes a great dinner entree too!
Servings: 6
Calories: 422kcal
Ingredients
For the quick tomato sauce:
- 14 ½- ounce can fire-roasted tomatoes well-drained
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon garlic salt
For the polenta:
- 3 ½ cups low sodium chicken broth
- 1 cup quick-cooking polenta
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup whole milk
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 cup parmesan cheese plus more for garnish
To finish:
- 3 ounces thinly sliced pepperoni We really like Boarshead, you could also use soppressata
- 6 medium eggs
- ¼ cup packed basil leaves larger ones roughly torn
- pine nuts for garnish
- parmesan cheese for garnish
Instructions
For the prep:
- Heat oven to 425˚F with a rack in the center. Spray a 9-by-13-inch pan or an equivalent ceramic baking dish with cooking spray and set aside. (You can also use 4 or 6 small individual ceramic oven-safe serving dishes.)
For the quick tomato sauce:
- Combine the well-drained tomatoes, olive oil, Italian seasoning and garlic salt in a medium-size bowl. Stir and set aside.
- For the polenta:
- Bring the 3 ½ cups chicken broth to a boil. Gradually whisk in the polenta and salt, and cook, stirring constantly until the polenta bubbles and thickens, about 3 minutes.
- Stir in the milk and return to a boil. Add the butter and parmesan then remove from heat. Stir until smooth and creamy. (It will be somewhat loose.)
- Spread the polenta onto the bottom of the prepared baking pan(s). Spoon the tomato sauce randomly over the top, leaving small areas of the polenta exposed. Bake for 10 minutes.
To finish:
- Use the back of a spoon to create 4-6 small, shallow wells in the polenta/tomatoes. Crack the eggs into the wells. Tuck the pepperoni around the eggs and into the polenta and tomato sauce, leaving about half of each slice exposed.
- Return to the oven for 4-8 minutes or until eggs are done slightly under your liking. The eggs will continue to cook for a bit after the dish is removed from the oven.
- Remove from the oven a let the pan stand for 8-10 minutes. Sprinkle eggs with black pepper and a bit of kosher salt. Garnish with fresh basil. Serve pine nuts and parmesan in small bowls at the table.
Nutrition
Calories: 422kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 22g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 207mg | Sodium: 1153mg | Potassium: 338mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 906IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 295mg | Iron: 2mg
