Instant Pot polenta with fried eggs
Creamy parmesan polenta with no stirring at all, topped with garlicky wilted spinach and two fried eggs in every bowl.
- 45 min total
- 15 min hands-on
- Follow-a-recipe easy
- Serves 4
- About $2.58 a serving
- 520 calories
- Vegetarian
- Gluten-free
Dolly says: Most of the time here is hands-off, so you can sit down while it cooks.
Ingredients
For 4 servings.
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- 1 cup cornmeal
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 package baby spinach, 5 oz
- 3 tbsp butter
- ¾ cup grated parmesan
- 8 large eggs
From your pantry
- 2 cups water
- 1 tsp salt, divided
- 2 tbsp olive oil, divided
- ½ tsp black pepper
Each serving has about 520 calories, 22 g protein, 38 g carbs and 31 g fat, and costs about $2.58 at typical US grocery prices. Both are estimates from what the recipe uses.
Missing something?
- No baby spinach? Kale or arugula works.
- No butter? Ghee works.
- No grated parmesan? Parmesan wedge works.
Steps
Tap an underlined word for a quick explanation.
Pour the broth, water and ¾ teaspoon salt into the Instant Pot. Slowly in the cornmeal in a thin stream so no lumps form.
Whisk. Whisking means beating quickly with a whisk or a fork to blend things together. It smooths out lumps and mixes eggs, oil or sauces evenly.
How you’ll know: It all looks one even color and texture, with no streaks or lumps.
Dolly’s tip: Dumping the cornmeal in all at once makes lumps. A slow pour while you whisk keeps it smooth.Lock the lid, set the valve to sealing and pressure cook on high for 9 minutes.
Timer: 9 min
Dolly’s tip: It takes about 10 minutes to come up to pressure before the countdown starts.Let the pressure come down on its own for 10 minutes, then turn the valve to release the rest.
Timer: 10 min
While the polenta cooks, heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick over medium heat.
Skillet. A skillet is a frying pan: wide and flat with low, sloped sides. The shape lets steam escape, so food browns instead of stewing.
How you’ll know: It’s the pan you’d fry an egg in, and a 10 or 12 inch one handles most recipes.
Medium heat
Add the garlic, spinach and of salt and stir until just , about 2 minutes.
Pinch. A pinch is what you can hold between your thumb and two fingers, less than an eighth of a teaspoon. It’s a small, forgiving amount, so there’s no need to measure.
How you’ll know: It’s a light sprinkle you can barely see on the food, not a little pile.
Wilt. Wilting means cooking leafy greens just until they go soft and collapse. Greens shrink a lot, so a big pile of spinach becomes a small handful, and that’s normal.
How you’ll know: The leaves turn soft and deep green and slump into the pan, usually within a minute or two.
Medium heatTimer: 2 min
Move to a bowl.
Open the lid and in the butter, parmesan and pepper until smooth and creamy. If it seems stiff, whisk in of hot water.
Whisk. Whisking means beating quickly with a whisk or a fork to blend things together. It smooths out lumps and mixes eggs, oil or sauces evenly.
How you’ll know: It all looks one even color and texture, with no streaks or lumps.
Splash. A splash is a small, quick pour, about a teaspoon to a tablespoon. It’s there to loosen or brighten a dish, so the exact amount doesn’t matter.
How you’ll know: The dish looks a little looser or tastes a little brighter, not soupy.
Dolly’s tip: Polenta keeps thickening as it sits. Loosen it with a little water right before serving.Heat the rest of the oil in the over medium heat.
Skillet. A skillet is a frying pan: wide and flat with low, sloped sides. The shape lets steam escape, so food browns instead of stewing.
How you’ll know: It’s the pan you’d fry an egg in, and a 10 or 12 inch one handles most recipes.
Medium heat
Crack in 4 eggs, cover and cook until the whites are set and the yolks begin to , 3 to 4 minutes.
Thicken. Thickening means cooking a sauce or soup until it’s less runny, by simmering it down or adding something like cornstarch. A thicker sauce clings to food instead of pooling on the plate.
How you’ll know: It coats the back of a spoon, and a line drawn through it with your finger holds its shape.
Medium heatTimer: 3 min 30 sec
Food safety: For the safest eggs, cook until the whites are fully set and the yolks begin to thicken. Dishes made with eggs are done at 160°F.
Repeat with the other 4.
Medium heat
Spoon the polenta into bowls and top each with spinach and 2 eggs. Finish with more pepper.
Plan this in Dollop, and get the grocery list
Dollop puts this dinner on a night that suits your week, lists only what you still need to buy, and walks you through each step while you cook.
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