Cheesy polenta with spinach, mushrooms, and sundried tomatoes

This recipe was born out of one of those "cook whatever you've got in the fridge" nights and I was surprised at how much the boyfriend liked it. The title pretty much gives away everything that's in it and I ate mine like it is in the picture, but if you want a little more protein in the meal it is delicious with an over-easy egg on top as well.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup corn meal

3 1/2 cups veggie stock

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1-2 dashes cayenne pepper

1/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning

4-5 cracks black pepper

salt, to taste

1 ounce cream cheese

2-3 tablespoons parmesan cheese

1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1 tablespoon oil

1/4 of an onion, chopped

1/2 a box of mushrooms, sliced thinly

5 sundried tomato halves

1/2 cup hot water

1 large garlic clove, minced

1 large handful spinach leaves

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1-2 dashes cayenne pepper

1/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning

salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

In a large sauce pot, bring 3 cups veggie stock to a boil. Combine the corn meal with the leftover 1/2 cup of veggie stock and stir until it is smooth. Stir this into boiling stock and whisk to prevent lumps. Turn the heat down to low and add garlic powder, cayenne, Italian seasoning, and black pepper. Cover and simmer this mixture for 30-35 minutes, stirring occasionally. While this is simmering, heat the oil in a separate pan over medium-low heat. Add the onion and cook until it is tender, about 5 minutes, then add the mushrooms and cook until they have lost most of their water and have started to turn golden brown. While you are waiting for this to happen, soak tomatoes in the hot water for a few minutes, then chop them into pieces. When the mushrooms are nice and brown and starting to caramelize, then add the tomatoes and a splash or two of the soaking water. Cook for about 2-3 minutes, then add the spinach, garlic, garlic powder, cayenne, and Italian seasoning and cook until the spinach is tender. Add more of the soaking water if necessary and then season with salt and pepper. When the 30-35 minutes of simmering is finished, stir in cream cheese, parmesan cheese, and mozzarella and stir until everything has melted together. Season with salt and pepper. To serve, place a few spoonfuls in the bottom of a bowl and top with the veggie mixture. Top with more parmesan and potentially a fried egg.