White Beans and Greens with Cheesy Polenta
This crowd pleasing Italian side is as elegant as it is simple. Packed with vegetables, this any occasion dinner is vibrant, filling, delicious, and ready in 30 minutes. This recipe has strong tones of garlic, lemon, and parmesan cheese.
Ingredients
Cheesy Polenta
- 2 Cups Polenta
- 6 Cups Water
- 1/2 Cup Parmesan Cheese (Shredded or Grated)
- 2-4 Tbsp Butter
- 1 Tbsp Kosher Salt
White Beans and Greens
- 1 Can Cannellini Beans (15 oz)
- 2 Heads Escarole (Chopped, Can also use Swiss Chard, Kale, or a Combo)
- 2 Shallots (Finely Chopped)
- 5 Cloves Garlic (Finely Chopped, Measure with your heart)
- 3 Strips Bacon (Crumbled)
- 5 Cremini Mushrooms (Stems Removed and Chopped)
- 1 Lemon (Juiced)
Instructions
- In a large saucepan with lid over medium heat, add 6 cups of water and 1 Tbsp of Salt, then bring to a boil. While waiting for the water boil, prep your greens by thoroughly washing and roughly chopping them. Prep your over vegetables by chopping your shallots, mushrooms, and garlic. Then drain and rinse your white beans.
- In a separate deep large frying pan over medium heat, cook your bacon. Remove, crumble, and reserve the bacon for later. Leave the grease rendered from the bacon in the pan.
- Once the water is boiling. Add the polenta and whisk for 30 seconds. (Failure to whisk will lead to clumpy, not creamy, polenta. Cover the sauce pan of polenta and reduce the heat to low. Cook covered for 30 minutes.
- In the frying pan, add the chopped shallots and allow them to saute for 3 minutes. If there is not enough grease in the pan to sauté, add a few tablespoons of olive oil. Add the minced garlic and allow the pan to sauté for 2 minutes. Now add your mushrooms and cook an additional 5 minutes.
- Next, add the chicken broth and lemon juice to the frying pan, then add your chopped greens. Carefully mix in your greens. The greens will be billowing over the top of your pan, but after a couple minutes, the greens will wilt and fit perfectly in your pan. Add the white beans and continue to cook until the beans are warmed through.
- After the polenta has cooked for 30 minutes, mix in 4 Tbsp of butter and a 1/2 cup of grated parmesan cheese. To serve: Dollop a serving of the polenta in a bowl, then spoon the greens and white beans over the polenta.