Recipe: Polenta with Sausage

A one skillet sensation - polenta with sausage. I've baked a lot with corn meal, making a variety of different kinds of corn bread for Matt, but I had never actually made polenta with it. It was kind of exciting to try something different and new, and to try something that I know I never would have come up with on my own. That's the great thing about cook books. 

This was the first recipe that I tried out of the Cooking for Two book. The first chapter was on skillet meals that require only one pan, so most are casserole like, and this one really caught my eye. I know you can't really see the what lies beneath the wonderful Parmesan cheese crust, but I'm afraid the picture after serving didn't look all to appetizing, so just take my word that it was fantastic! 

It really is amazing what chefs think to create; there really is no limit the number of dishes you could create with very similar ingredients. While I do experiment a little in the kitchen, I think my strongest quality as a chef is reading the recipe. Maybe once I get more cooking knowledge I'll be able to create on my own, but for the time being, I'm happy to see and learn from what other people have created. And this skillet was a great place to start (heck, I didn't even know that I had a cast iron skillet, but turned out Matt had one hidden in the drawer of the stove. Score!). 

INGREDIENTS FOR TOPPING

1 tsp olive oil

2 Italian sausages, casing removed

1 small onion, minced

1/2 bell peeper, stemmed, seeded, and diced

3 garlic cloves, mince

1/8 tsp red pepper flakes

1/2 cup drained canned diced tomatoes

     1/4 cup juice reserved

1 1/2 tsp red wine vinegar

1/4 cup grated Parmesan

salt and pepper to taste

INGREDIENTS FOR POLENTA

1 2/3 cups water

1/2 cup whole milk

1/2 cup coarse-ground cornmeal

2 tbsp butter

1 garlic clove, minced

salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

HEAT oven to 450 degrees.

HEAT the oil in a 10-inch ovensafe skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add the sausage and cook, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon, until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. 

STIR in the onions, peppers, and salt and cook until the veggies are softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the tomatoes with the reserved juice and bring to a simmer, scraping up and browned bits. 

OFF THE HEAT, stir in the vinegar and season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and set aside (do not wash skillet).

WIPE out the skilled with paper towels and return to medium-high heat. Add water, milk, and 1/2 tsp of salt to the skillet and bring to a boil. Slowly add the polenta while whisking constantly in a circular motion to prevent clumping.

BRING to a simmer, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook, stirring often and vigorously, until polenta becomes soft and smooth, 10 to 15 minutes. Off the heat, stir in the butter and garlic and season with salt and pepper to taste. 

SMOOTH the polenta into an even layer in the skillet. Spoon the sausage topping evenly over the polenta, then sprinkle with cheese. 

BAKE the casserole until the cheese is melted and golden, 15 to 20 minutes. Let the casserole cool for 10 minutes before serving. 

The book has some variations for the dish, too, allowing you to substitute the cheese you use, or the type of Italian sausage. The recipe I cooked also called for Swiss chard, which I didn't use, but you could substitute broccoli for that. You add the greens to the meat while still on the heat before you add the vinegar. You could also make this dish with mushrooms, but we all know that's not going to happen in our house.... 

Next up: Shrimp with Orzo (you read right... shrimp!)