Polenta Sausage Bake

Lately I've been making two dinners on Monday nights.  One for Monday, one for Tuesday (since I'm in the office all day).  The Tuesday meal obviously has to be a make-ahead, so I've been getting creative some weeks for fear of boredom (we all know how much I love variety!).

This is another "Melissa special".  Another one of those meals where I check my fridge, freezer, pantry, whatever...and come up with something delicious and easy.  I actually used marinara AND vodka sauce in this dish because I had a little of both sitting in the fridge.  SO good.  Same rule applies for veggies...toss in whatever you have!

Polenta Sausage Bake
4 Italian sausage links (I used a combo of hot and sweet), cut into one inch chunks
extra virgin olive oil
1 onion, sliced
1 pound mushrooms, sliced
3 garlic cloves, chopped
salt and pepper
marinara sauce (about 2 cups)
1 tube polenta
fresh mozzarella (half a ball or more, if you want), halved and sliced
grated pecorino romano cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Place oil in a hot skillet, then add sausage.  Cook for a few minutes, then add onions and mushrooms.  Season with salt and pepper.  Add sauce and let simmer for about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, add a little sauce to the bottom of a baking dish - enough to lightly cover the entire surface (I used a 9 inch round).  Slice polenta into 1 inch rounds and add a layer over the sauce.

Spoon the sausage mixture on top.  Top with remaining polenta, then mozzarella.  Finish with pecorino romano.

Bake for about 15-20 minutes, or until cheese is melted.

A "meaty" stew

There are very few ways I can get away with a meatless meal in this house if it doesn't involve pasta.  I have to tread carefully when I try new dishes of this nature.  This one, fortunately, got Frank's approval...even after I got the "hmmph" over the phone when he asked what was for dinner.  

I had an eggplant I needed to use, along with leftover tomato paste in the fridge and a little bit of marinara sauce.  I threw this together and it hit the table 30 minutes later.  Quick, delicious and satisfying!  Oh yeah, and healthy :)

When will he realize I'll never let him down? 

What's your favorite meatless meal?  Try this soon - it may just end up at the top of your list.

Eggplant Stew with Polenta
5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
1 onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 eggplant, cubed
2 plum tomatoes, chopped
2 teaspoons dried basil
2 teaspoons dried parsley
salt and pepper to taste
2 teaspoons tomato paste
3/4 cup marinara sauce
1/2 cup red wine
polenta (see this link for different ways to cook it)

In a medium size pot over medium-high heat, heat 3 tablespoons oil, then add onion and garlic.  Saute for about 1-2 minutes, then add eggplant.  Stir and add remaining oil, plus salt and pepper, basil and parsley.  Cook for about 3-4 minutes, then add tomatoes and cook for another 2 minutes.

Stir in tomato paste, marinara and wine.  Cover, lower heat and simmer for about 15-20 minutes.

Cook polenta and plate.  Add stew on top and serve.

Linked to: Tastetastic Thursday
                   Eggplant Blog Hop

More from Mexico

I love the versatility of Mexican dishes.  It's easy to tweak the recipes so that they can be made healthier, yet still taste delicious.  This is one of those dishes.  It's from Weight Watchers so I didn't even have to get that creative on my own.


If I were making this just for myself, I would have added beans.  I think they would add a nice little something extra to the dish.  Either way, try it...and have it with the polenta.  Mexican isn't always about rice!

Mexican Beef Over Polenta
from Weight Watchers


1 pound ground beef, extra lean (7% fat)
1 small onion, chopped
1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes, drained (reserve 1 tablespoon of liquid)
1 can yellow corn, drained
15 Kalamata olives, chopped
3 tablespoons chopped jalapeno peppers
3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
3/4 cup polenta, quick cooking
3 cups chicken broth
1/3 cup salsa
1/3 cup shredded reduced fat cheddar cheese
1 scallion, chopped
2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped


Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Cook beef and onion, stirring frequently, until meat is fully cooked, about 5 to 7 minutes; drain off any liquid. Stir in tomatoes and reserved liquid, corn, olives, jalapenos, 1/4 teaspoon of salt, cumin and pepper; simmer 5 minutes to allow flavors to blend.


Meanwhile, in a small pot, combine cornmeal, broth and remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt; stir well. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring constantly, until cornmeal is thick, about 5 minutes.


Spoon polenta onto a large serving plate and top with beef mixture. Top with salsa, cheese, cilantro and scallions.


Serves 6.
WW Points+ per serving = 7

So what if it isn't pretty?

When I noticed I had some extra stuffing from the braciole I made the other day, I started thinking of a way to use it up.  Remember, waste not, want not!  Originally, I was going to use the portobello mushrooms I have by stuffing them, but midway through cooking I decided to save them for another time.

I cut up some zucchini, whipped up some polenta and this was the result.  Yum.

That's right, I said yum, even though it isn't the most attractive dish.  These types of creations rarely are, but they're usually the best tasting :)  LOVE rustic cooking.

Sausage and Polenta with Sauteed Zucchini
3/4 lb. Italian sausage, not in casing (I used spicy, but you can use mild if you want to be wimpy)
extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, chopped
stuffing from braciole (click here for the ingredients.  This can be omitted, or you can use bread crumbs with whatever seasonings you like)
1 zucchini, sliced
1 garlic clove, chopped
salt and pepper, to taste
polenta (see link above on how to make it)
mozzarella cheese, shredded

Heat oil and garlic in a skillet over medium high heat.  Add sausage and cook until no longer pink, then add stuffing.  Stir together and cook for another few minutes.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Remove from pan and cover to keep warm.

Put a little more oil and the other garlic clove into the skillet.  Add zucchini, salt and pepper and saute until cooked through.  Take off heat and cover to keep warm.

Follow instructions for polenta.  When almost finished, add cheese and continue stirring.  Spoon polenta onto plate and add sausage on top, with zucchini on the side.

Getting cozy

There's just something about good ol' comfort food that makes everything better.  Lord knows I could have used this dish tonight after the craziness I endured today (this photo is about a month old - and excuse the ugly plate, lol)...plus, I'm not feeling so hot and wasn't up for cooking.  

I love Giada's recipe for this old standby that was popular in our house growing up...Frank's a big fan too.  I served it with polenta with mushrooms, which is another favorite combo of ours.  Depending on my mood and how much time I have, I make my polenta the old fashioned way, the quick way, or the cheater's way, and saute the mushrooms with garlic and oil before combining them.

• 
  
• Chicken Cacciatore with Polenta and Mushrooms
• adapted from Giada DeLaurentis
• 
  
• 4 chicken breasts with skin and backbone
• 2 teaspoons salt, plus more to taste
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
• 1/2 cup all purpose flour, for dredging
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 onion, chopped (I used 2  medium yellow onions)
• 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped (I used 5)
• 3/4 cup dry white wine
• 1 ( 28-ounce) can diced tomatoes with juice
• 3/4 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 3 tablespoons drained capers (I omitted)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano leaves
• 1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh basil leaves

Sprinkle the chicken pieces with 1 teaspoon of each salt and pepper. Dredge the chicken pieces in the flour to coat lightly.

In a large dutch oven, heat the oil over a medium-high flame. Add the chicken pieces and saute just until brown, about 5 minutes per side. If all the chicken doesn't fit, saute it in 2 batches. Transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside. Add the bell pepper, onion and garlic to the same pan and saute over medium heat until the onion is tender, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add the wine and simmer until reduced by half, about 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes with their juice, broth, capers and oregano. Return the chicken pieces to the pan and turn them to coat in the sauce. Bring the sauce to a simmer. Continue simmering over medium-low heat until the chicken is just cooked through, about 30 minutes for the breast pieces, and 20 minutes for the thighs.

Using tongs, transfer the chicken to a platter. If necessary, boil the sauce until it thickens slightly, about 3 minutes. Spoon off any excess fat from atop the sauce. Spoon the sauce over the chicken, then sprinkle with the basil.  Serve with polenta and mushrooms.