One of the first lessons that any new cook learns is that you can cook pretty much anything and put it on rice and it tastes okay. Ditto with pasta. Hell, you can even use a piece of toast if you’re in a pinch.

But what to do when these old standbys start tasting a little tired? Here’s what: polenta. It’s a thick, savory corn porridge, and the exact same rice-or-pasta rules apply. If I have some roasted root vegetables rapidly approaching their life expectancy in the fridge, I heat them up in a skillet and throw them on top of polenta and it’s a whole new meal. If I have some chunky tomato-y thing that I originally made for pasta, it’s bound to taste great on top of polenta with some Parmesan cheese.

And polenta isn’t just for leftovers. Here’s a yummy mushroom number that I dreamed up in a hurry last night.

Polenta with Mushrooms and Goat Cheese

• 3¼ cups water
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¾ cup coarsely ground cornmeal
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 onion, chopped
• About 1 lb. assorted mushrooms, sliced
• A few pinches of dried herbs (I used thyme and oregano)
• About 4 oz. of goat cheese

Bring the water and salt to a boil in a saucepan, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Pour the cornmeal slowly into the water while whisking. Then keep cooking it while it thickens, stirring very frequently with a spoon.

While the polenta is cooking, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in a skillet and cook the onion until sweet and golden. Add the mushrooms and season with the dried herbs and some salt and pepper. Cook on low heat.

When the polenta is so thick that it’s pulling away from the sides of the pan, stir in the remaining butter and salt and pepper to taste, scoop it into bowls and add the mushrooms. Crumble the goat cheese on top, and kiss rice goodbye for the evening.