Holiday Hosting Recipes

From the upcoming book How to be a Bourbon Badass:

Bourbon Mushrooms with Caramelized Onion Polenta Bites

2 tbsp olive oil, divided

1 tsp chopped garlic

8 oz thinly sliced white mushrooms

Pinch of salt

Pinch of bourbon-smoked pepper

2 tbsp bourbon

1 tbsp butter

2 medium sweet yellow onions, sliced extra thin

1 bay leaf

1 tbsp fresh thyme

Pinch of salt

1 18-oz roll of polenta

Instructions

In a large saute pan, heat 1 tbsp olive oil and garlic. Add mushrooms, salt and bourbon-smoked pepper. Cook until mushrooms begin to soften and turn brown, about 3-4 minutes. Add bourbon to deglaze the pan. Continue to cook mushrooms for 2-3 minutes longer. Remove mushrooms from pan.

To the same pan, add remaining olive oil and the butter. Add onions, bay leaf, thyme and salt. Spread onions out evenly in pan, stirring occasionally. Cook until they begin to turn golden brown. Discard bay leaf and remove from heat.

To prepare the polenta bites, slice polenta into quarter-inch round slices. Spread out on a parchment-lined cookie sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 10-15 minutes and slightly browned. Remove from oven and top with a small spoonful of caramelized onions and a small spoonful of mushrooms. Top with fresh thyme and serve.