A gorgeous layering of flavors and textures in this Creamy Mascarpone Polenta with Crispy Fried Eggs feels like home on a plate.
As I write this, I’m sitting in my cozy pad up in Lake Placid, NY…600 square feet of living dressed in the muted colors of Christmas. Forest greens, cranberry reds, midnight blues and earthy brown tones. The gas fireplace is flickering and I’m looking out our picture window at a pile of sloshy snow slowly melting off our chocolate colored Adirondack chairs set right outside the door.
All over social media I’m seeing cherry blossoms in bloom, homemade popsicles in celebration of warmer weather, and yellow daffodils as far as the eye can see. No sloshy snow happening on social media, today.
I took the week, last week, to head up north for a little regrouping. Snowshoe Lodge, our home away from home, is a soft place to land when we need to get still. It, without a doubt, is the place our family has come to associate with feelings of serenity, restoration, and tranquility.
Of the four seasons, spring is the least popular for visitors, making it the quietest time in Lake Placid. The grounds where our place is are usually bustling with pedestrians roaming every which way, but this week, you could hear a pin drop…making it a perfect time to put on my writer’s cap.
I’ve been struggling a little in the creativity department lately, so I’m counting on the change of scenery and rhythm to help me reboot. It’s a tall order, I know. But Lake Placid has powers, man.
So, between LP and this creamy mascarpone polenta with crispy fried eggs, I’m bound to get some creatin’ done. We’ll see.
When I think about food that warms and comforts, I can’t help but think about (dare I say) toast…fried eggs..and something porridge-y. The thought of cheese makes me happy too, which brings us to this dish.
In our favorite grocery store with all the charms of a small mountain town, I grabbed DeLallo’s (not sponsored) Instant Polenta, a dozen eggs, some Italian bread and a small crock of mascarpone. Oh, and chives. I had butter and Asiago in the fridge back at the place. I couldn’t wait to get cooking.
Creamy mascarpone polenta is as quick and easy a dish as they come. I cooked the fine corn meal in boiling water then simply added salt and pepper, a healthy dollop of mascarpone and a good juj of Asiago. Topped it with a crispy fried egg, a few snips of fresh chive, a side of Italian toast and few slices of Cara Cara orange. My needs were met.
I hope you enjoy this dish as much as I did..as I do…
What do you guys do if you fall into a creativity funk? I’d love to know!
Buon Appetito!
Print
Creamy Mascarpone Polenta with Crispy Fried Eggs
- Category: Breakfast
Description
A gorgeous layering of flavors and textures in this Creamy Mascarpone Polenta with Crispy Fried Eggs feels like home on a plate.
Ingredients
- 1 box DeLallo Instant Polenta
- 4 1/2 cups water
- 1/3 – 1/2 cup mascarpone
- 1/3 – 1/2 cup shredded Asiago Cheese
- Butter, divided
- 2 eggs
- Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste
- Pinch of red pepper flakes
- Chives, chopped, to taste
Instructions
- Cook polenta according to package directions.
- When it’s done, about one minute, remove from heat and add the mascarpone, Asiago and salt and pepper. Stir until fully combined. Set aside.
- In a skillet over medium-high heat, melt 2 Tbsp. butter.
- Crack eggs into skillet and season with salt, pepper and red pepper flakes.
- Cover pan and cook until eggs are crispy and yolk is still soft.
- Spoon polenta onto a plate or into a serving bowl.
- Top with the crispy fried eggs, shredded Asiago and chives.
{View of Whiteface Mountain from Snowshoe Lodge.}
More meals for comfort…
Bourbon Barrel Aged Maple Syrup Pancakes with Whipped Cream and Blackberries
CIAO!
And don’t forget to check out Ciao Chow Bambina on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook and Twitter! Mangia!!
Our spring has no cherry blossoms or Daffodils so far just dead leaves, clouds and tons of rain so far. I understand the creativity slump and I hope your get away gets the creativity mojo back ?. I’m getting away for a few days for the exact same reason! Now, this dish is making me hungry! I love all the flavors and textures!! Take care.
Enjoy your time away, Stacey! Hopefully it will recharge your batteries like it did for me! Take care, my friend!
Love hearing stories about your little Lake Placid lodge. Please let me know next time you and Dom go and I’ll meet you guys up there! hahahaha! JK! Get outta town thou with this polenta with that gorgeous fried egg on top. Goodness it looks fantastic! It was cold and rainy here all day today and I should have had this for dinner to cheer me up 🙂 There’s always tomorrow night…or breakfast 😉
I would LOVE to meet you up there! That would be a hoot! Oh yes – this meal is perfect any time of day or night! Thanks, dear!
Wow, four years worth of blogging. So awesome. Food is such a part of our soul isn’t it? Lake placid and this amazing breakfast sounds like the perfect reboot. Last week I had a truly tough week and not a single cell in me wanted to bake. And, I love baking. So, life’s ebbs and flows is what makes the creatin part so fun and gratifying. Cheers!
You’re so right! Life’s ebbs and flows is what makes it gratifying… It’s important that we dig deep every once in a while…Thanks, my friend! Cheers!
sounds like a delicious meal Annie! I am also waiting for the weather change, seriously this cold and grey weather makes everyone un-creative!
It sure does! I am over it!! Thanks for stopping by, Manali! 🙂
Omgggg that egg is absolutely perfect!! I love when they’re a little crispy on the outside with a super runny yolk. Delicious!! This is such the ideal comfort food even as we move into spring (come on, spring, hurry up!!).
Nothing like a crispy fried egg! Thanks, friend!!
Creativity ruts can be so painful! I’m so glad being at the lake helped you :). I usually bake bread when I get into a rut. The kneading is meditative and it always clears my mind and lets me start over. This polenta looks unbelievable! Polenta is just so good and a fried egg on top makes it perfection!
I ‘knead’ to try that! 😉 It is meditative and I realize now that baking bread would be a wonderful alternative to nature. I love the idea! Polenta is the best, isn’t it?!
This meal would warm anyone up! How cool to have a place like yours to go re-charge. We go up to Mt Laguna with the dogs at least once a month to hike, it’s about an hours drive east from San Diego. Elevation 5K and I am in the Cleveland National Forrest. My Zen place.
BUT, about this post… My gosh that hero shot is a perfect, BEAUTIFUL! I would so enjoy this right now.
Well that sounds wonderful! We must have our Zen places in our back pockets…we travel to LP at least once a month as well. The place owns our hearts! Thank you so much for your kind words, my friend! You can have this dish in about five minutes flat! How often can we say that?
Annie, these eggs totally remind me of my childhood. I was the worst eater ever, always too skinny (don’t have this problem today:)) and to fatten me up my mom would make me fried eggs over mashed potatoes, sometimes polenta. She always said that butter is the way to go an you must cover the pan with a lid for the eggs to get turn white on top, while the yolks stay runny. This dish alone is enough to spark my creativity:)
Awhh! I love that! And that is the only way to make a crispy fried egg and keep all that yummy yolk! You reminded me of when my son was a little guy and a very picky eater – I always worried he wasn’t getting enough. His food of choice? Peanut butter! Thanks for stopping by and sharing a special memory!
Your staying at Lake Placid sounds just what I’d need to recharge my batteries. I feel I am doing too much and would love to take a break and retreat somewhere that pretty. But hubby cannot leave work and so, to regroup, I usually go to yoga, or draw or paint. They all help, but nothing like going away for some time… Anyway, this dish has all of my favorites: the creamy cheesy polenta, the fried egg, a piece of toasted bread and the cara cara oranges. Beautiful!
Exactly – a couple weeks ago I was feeling like the fresh mountain air was in order. Nothing restores me like nature and I always get my fill when I’m up there! Glad you like the dish, my friend! It is so full of flavor!
I am so jealous of you right now. I don’t spend enough time just being by myself and recharging. You are so lucky to have a place where you can do that. What a delicious twist on polenta! Love it!
I feel very lucky! It took a lot of years but our little home away from home is truly a haven for us! And the polenta is the bomb! Thanks, friend!
I really love polenta and the Delallo brand looks so easy to prepare and yet still so delicious and indulgent 🙂
Their Instant could not be any easier! No excuse for not eating well! 🙂
Sounds like such a cozy place Annie! Sometimes it’s best to get away and regroup to get those creative juices flowing right?! I’m feeling ya! This looks just delicious. I love DeLallo instant polenta. Can’t wait to try this. Hope you have a great week!
The ultimate in coziness! I just needed to step away from my usual office space and set my eyes on something different…it always works! DeLallo products are so good! Thank you, Mary Ann!
Lake Placid sounds like the perfect place to kick back and re-group! I think all of us who have a real Winter feel a little weather-worn this time of year. We need some green leaves to re-ignite us 🙂 Anyway, love this dish so much! My kind of food and swooning over that egg porn this morning!
Oh you bet! Weather-worn is the perfect description! Thankfully, I’m feeling re-charged and ready to go! So happy you like the dish! Thanks, my friend! Happy Monday!
I’ve already pinned it!! Polenta with mascarpone?? Oh! Yes! Absolutely! And getting away from distractions is a great way to get the creative juices flowing. I understand — right now we just got back from being gone for three months. OH!! The housework, yardwork, work, work that has to be done. I may have to give up sleeping so I can write and post. If this post is any indication of your creativity — you’re on your way.
Wowza! You’ve got your work cut out for you! But, truly, there’s no place like home! So happy you like the dish! Thanks for the pin, my friend! 🙂
Your place in Lake Placid sounds absolutely perfect, Annie!! I’ve never been to Lake Placid before, but clearly I need to book a vacation there IMMEDIATELY, because my brain is in DESPERATE need of a reboot! I feel like if you hooked my brain up to a monitor it would be flat lining right now. 😉 LOVING this dish, my dear! Seriously, this is just screaming perfect cozy eats to me! I mean, creamy MASCARPONE polenta and CRISPY fried eggs?!? SWOOOOOON!!! Looks just delicious, Annie!! I could use this bowl on repeat! Pinned! Cheers!
Lake Placid is just the place to reboot! Let me know when you’re going, I’ll meet you there! 🙂 The mascarpone and Asiago make all the difference in the polenta! So, so good! Thanks, my friend! Have a great day!
This dish seems perfect for the snow you are getting any, heck, it is perfect even for me in the warm and sunny Caribbean weather!! I love polenta! and the crispy egg on top is just right up my alley!
Oh, you betcha! This is a dish perfect for any day…any season! Thank you, my dear! 🙂
Oh Annie. I get it, on so many levels. I am an out of season traveler, opting to stay close to home during the summer and travel during the other seasons without the crowds or ‘high season’ rates. Fall, Winter and Spring are my favorite times to get out and enjoy the serenity, reflect, play and rest. I’ve never been to LP, but it sounds incredible. And this gorgeous simple combination of flavors has me craving this comfort food. I remember distinctly the first time I had a poached egg over polenta. I wondered where it had been all my life… but you added mascarpone… O.M.G.eeeee. It’ll be happening! Delicious! Much rest and recharge to you my dear! xo
Oh, I know, I know. There is a season for everything. Quiet times up there meet our needs just as the bustling times do in the summer months… The place owns our hearts, I tell you. Eggs and polenta are just a match made in heaven! So happy you stopped by with a kind word, my friend! Thank you! xo
Sounds like you found a wonderful place to be, full of inspiring beauties! How nice to be able to relax and unwind! And this polenta is making me swoon. I’ve never made polenta myself before, but I do love ordering it out. And the fried egg on top is such a wonderful idea! This looks like the perfect comfort food, Annie!
My week in LP was the perfect antidote to my end of winter stagnation. 🙂 I could eat a crispy fried egg on anything! The polenta makes for a beautiful bed! Thanks, my friend!
I feel you, my friend, I feel you. We have more snow here today. Yes, more snow. I shouldn’t be surprised. We had a snow storm late last year too. Still, it sucks. I totally know what you mean about feeling a little uninspired; happens to me too. Sometimes (a lot of the time) I have to write a bit and then go back to it a million times before it’s at where I want it to be. It’s always good to take a break for a bit too, a little breather to kinda recentre, ya know? Maybe visit a restaurant you’ve wanted to try or one that you love…that may give you some inspiration. Or check out some of your old posts to see if you can update or put a spin on 🙂
I wouldn’t say that this dish is uninspired, though! I love me some polenta and the mascarpone is the perfect touch! This is just what this morning called for. And the few slices of Cara Cara that you had along with? My Fave! Cheers to a great week, my friend! Stay warm! XOXO
I love your ideas for inspiration! And actually the restaurant we celebrated Dom’s birthday over the weekend provided me with lots to think about! I love the idea of going back through older posts…four years worth is bound to give me much to ponder! Thanks for sharing your thoughts – I knew you’d have great ideas! Have a wonderful week, my friend! Luckily, when we departed Lake Placid we left the snow and drove home to springtime weather. Wishes for warmer days for you! XOXO