Even though it’s summertime, I’m always in the mood for warm comfort food. It’s great to just sit in front of the TV with a hearty meal and relax. But, as you all know, I like to switch up my ingredients and techniques. The typical mashed potatoes and gravy just weren't going to cut it this time. These Balsamic Steak Tips and Mushrooms over Creamy Polenta did the trick. The richness of the sauce combined with the cheesy polenta sent my taste-buds rolling. I had to fight falling asleep after eating it all.

Now for me personally, I learned about polenta during my first semester of culinary school. I was so confused when my chef started talking about it. It wasn’t until he physically showed the class that I realized what it was. By definition, polenta is a dish of boiled white or yellow cornmeal. It can be eaten hot, or chilled and cut into shapes. Polenta originated in Northern Italy. It was originally made from other grains such as chickpeas, farro, etc. 

As soon as I saw the cornmeal, I immediately thought of frying catfish. Seeing another way of using cornmeal opened my mind to other recipe ideas. For those like eating grits, you’ll like polenta as well. Both are made from cornmeal and use the same cooking technique. 

The polenta alone might fill you up, but don’t add too much to your bowl. You have to save some room for the steak tips and mushrooms. The balsamic vinegar added a nice acidic component to the dish. It also helped to cut some creaminess of the polenta. 

The key to making the sauce as rich as possible is to allow the balsamic vinegar and wine to reduce. This will allow for a hint of sweetness to show through at the end. Also, remember to reduce on low to medium-low. For those who would like this to be a vegan or vegetarian meal, I’ve left some suggestions at the bottom of the recipe card below. Happy Eating!