Polenta finished with cheese and butter is the base of a breakfast that can be adapted in many ways. Just don't skimp on the cheese, it's what makes it such a delicious start to the day.

Here's a recipe I concocted this morning (it being Friday when I am writing this) in a bid to make a breakfast a little different from the norm. There's no bacon in it, but there could be. There's no sausage in it but there could be. The extras are open to your preferences and your imagination.

I chose to serve the polenta with a fried egg (yes, of course you can have two) and a ladle of a tomato and onion relish. I finished it off with chopped garlic chives, salt and black pepper. But you could easily grate some Parmesan over if you like.

The heart of the dish, though, is that cheesy polenta. I stirred two cups of grated Langbaken Stout Willis into polenta made with 2 cups of heated milk and ½ a cup of polenta grains. This cheese melts quickly and easily, but there's no reason why regular old mature Cheddar can't be used instead. As long as it is a good melting cheese, choose your favourite.

I made a quick relish of fried sliced onions simmered with Italian passata (strained tomatoes) for some pure tomato flavour on the side. The passata is barely cooked at...