Polenta With Mushrooms, Bacon And Onions

• 5 cups water
• 1 cup milk
• 4 sprigs thyme
• 1 cup polenta
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 4 strips of bacon
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 16 ounces cremini mushrooms, destemmed, thinly sliced
• 6 sprigs thyme
• salt & pepper to taste

1. For polenta, bring salted water & milk to a boil. Add thyme sprigs and 1 cup of polenta. Whisk pretty much constantly for the first 5 minutes. Cook for at least 20 more minutes. Remove thyme sprigs (most of the leaves would have fallen off by this point), add the shredded cheese and cook for a few more minutes.
2. Pour polenta into an oiled 9x13 Pyrex dish, cool slightly, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
3. For the topping, add bacon and onions to a pan. Brown.
4. Add mushrooms and thyme sprigs. Season with salt & pepper. Cook until mushrooms are soft and caramelized. Remove thyme sprigs (again, just like in polenta, most of the leaves would have fallen off by now and you'd just be removing the sticks).
5. Back to polenta...Once the polenta is all set in the refrigerator, cut out round shapes using a biscuit cutter. Bake those rounds in a preheated 375 degree oven for about 10 minutes on each side. Top them with mushroom/onion/bacon mixture. Serve.

water, milk, thyme, polenta, cheddar cheese, bacon, onion, cremini mushrooms, thyme, salt

Taken from food52.com/recipes/3086-polenta-with-mushrooms-bacon-and-onions (may not work)