Polenta Hors Doeuvres With Sausage And Basil Food

ONE-SKILLET SAUSAGE AND POLENTA PARMESAN

Steps:

• Preheat the broiler. Heat the olive oil in a large nonstick ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add the polenta and fry until golden, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate.
• Add the sausage to the skillet and cook, stirring and breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until just browned, about 3 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until they soften, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute. Stir in the tomatoes, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the parsley.
• Arrange the polenta rounds in the skillet on top of the sauce. Place the mozzarella slices over the polenta and sprinkle with the parmesan. Broil until the cheese is browned and bubbling, about 3 minutes. Top with more parsley and pepper to taste.

POLENTA WITH SAUSAGE AND PEPPERS

Steps:

• Bring 6 cups of water to a simmer and add the polenta. Cook over low heat, stirring often, 45 minutes. Stir in the butter, Parmesan and olive oil and keep warm.
• Add the tomatoes, sausage, garlic, peppers, onion and crushed red pepper to a large cast-iron pot and simmer, 30 minutes. Serve sauce over polenta, topped with some ricotta and basil.

POLENTA HORS D'OEUVRES WITH SAUSAGE AND BASIL

Steps:

• For polenta, bring water, olive oil and salt to a boil over high heat in 4-quart saucepot. Remove from heat and stir in polenta with a wooden spoon. Cook over medium heat , stirring constantly, 5 minutes. Immediately spread into two lightly greased half sheet pans (18 x 12-inches). Let cool completely. Using a 2-inch round cookie cutter, cut into 48 rounds per sheet pan (6 across and 8 down). Place on clean sheet pan. Store covered with plastic wrap until ready to assemble.
• For sausage mixture, meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat and cook onion and sausage, stirring occasionally, 3 minutes or until sausage is brown. Stir in sauce and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes or until sausage is done.
• To assemble, preheat broiler. Uncover polenta rounds; brush with additional olive oil and season lightly with additional salt. Broil about 7 minutes or until heated through and a light crust forms. Immediately top each round with 1 heaping teaspoon sausage mixture. Sprinkle generously with cheese and garnish with basil. Serve immediately.

BAKED POLENTA WITH SAUSAGE AND ARTICHOKE HEARTS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium. Add onion and cook until softened, 5 minutes. Add sausage and cook, breaking up meat with a wooden spoon, until browned, 8 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, 30 seconds. Remove skillet from heat and stir in artichokes; season with salt and pepper.
• In a 2-quart baking dish, layer polenta rounds and spoonfuls of sausage mixture. Pour stock over top and bake until bubbling and polenta is pale golden, 20 to 25 minutes. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.

CHEESY POLENTA WITH SAUSAGE RAGOUT

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large casserole dish over a medium-high heat and cook the onion and garlic for a few mins. Stir in the sausages, breaking them up into small pieces as you go, and cook for another 8-9 mins. Stir in the chopped tomatoes, stock, purée and most of the rosemary. Bring to a simmer and cook for another 8-10 mins or until the mixture is thickened. Season to taste.
• Meanwhile, make up the polenta following pack instructions. Remove from the heat and stir in the cheese, with some seasoning. Spoon the polenta onto 4 plates, then top with the ragout and a sprinkling of the remaining rosemary.

CREAMY POLENTA WITH PARMESAN AND SAUSAGE

Steps:

• Put oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When oil is hot, add sausages and cook, turning occasionally, until well browned on all sides and cooked through, about 20 minutes. Set aside.
• Meanwhile, put cornmeal in a medium saucepan along with 1 cup water and whisk well to make a slurry; continue whisking mixture to eliminate any lumps. Put pan over medium-high heat, sprinkle with salt and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and continue to cook, whisking frequently and adding water as needed to keep mixture loose and free of lumps, between 3 and 4 more cups. If mixture becomes too thick, simply add a bit more water; consistency should be similar to sour cream's.
• Polenta will be done in 15 to 30 minutes, depending on grind. Add cheese and butter. Taste and add salt, if necessary, and lots of pepper; serve topped with sausages.

POLENTA AND SAUSAGES FOR A CROWD (POLENTA ALLA SPIANATORA)

Steps:

• Prepare the polenta: In a heavy-bottomed pot, whisk together polenta, 2 teaspoons kosher salt and 8 cups boiling water over medium-high heat. Continue whisking as mixture comes to a boil and begins to thicken. Turn heat to low and switch from a whisk to a wooden spoon. Stir every 10 minutes or so, for about 40 minutes, adding a splash of water as necessary to keep polenta from thickening too much. It may take as much as 2 cups more liquid to achieve a smooth, pourable consistency. Taste polenta for salt and add pepper to taste. Stir well, cover and keep warm for up to 30 minutes.
• As polenta cooks, prepare the topping: Add olive oil to a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onions, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring, until softened. Add sausages and let brown on both sides, about 2 minutes per side. Add bay leaf, garlic and basil sprig, and cook for 1 minute more. Add wine, turn up heat, and let reduce by half.
• Add crushed tomatoes and their juices and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for about 1 hour, until sauce has thickened somewhat. Taste and adjust with salt and red-pepper flakes. (If using mushrooms, sauté over high heat in a little olive oil, until lightly browned. Season with salt and pepper.)
• To serve, rinse a large circular wooden board, about 18-inch diameter, with cool water. (Alternatively, use a large platter.) Pour polenta onto the board, and, using a spatula, quickly spread it into a circle about 3/4-inch deep.
• Carefully ladle sauce over the polenta, leaving a 1-inch polenta border at the edges. Arrange sausages over the sauce. Top with mushrooms, if using. Sprinkle with basil, parsley and pecorino.
• Place polenta in the center of the table, alongside bowls of grated pecorino. To serve the dish traditionally, offer guests forks but no plates and invite them to attack the polenta nearest their chair. Alternatively, cut polenta into large slices, and serve on dinner plates.

POLENTA HORS D'OEUVRES WITH SAUSAGE, BASIL AND GOAT CHEESE

Steps:

• 1. For polenta, bring water, olive oil and salt to a boil over high heat in 4-quart saucepot. Remove from heat and stir in polenta with a wooden spoon. Cook over medium heat , stirring constantly, 5 minutes. Immediately spread into two lightly greased half sheet pans (18 x 12-inches). Let cool completely. Using a 2-inch round cookie cutter, cut into 48 rounds per sheet pan (6 across and 8 down). Place on clean sheet pan. Store covered with plastic wrap until ready to assemble. NOTE: as a shortcut, Polenta is also available pre-made and ready to slice in most grocery stores 2. For Italian sausage mixture, meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat and cook onion and sausage, stirring occasionally, 3 minutes or until sausage is brown. Stir in sauce and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes or until sausage is done. If using ground sausage, you may want to form into small patties before cooking to make eating easier on polenta. 3. To assemble, preheat broiler. Uncover polenta rounds; brush with additional olive oil and season lightly with additional salt. Broil about 7 minutes or until heated through and a light crust forms. You can also fry the polenta in olive oil until brown. Immediately top each round with 1 heaping teaspoon sausage mixture. Sprinkle generously with goat or parma cheese and garnish with basil. Serve immediately.

BAKED POLENTA WITH SAUSAGE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
• Combine water and milk in a large saucepan with polenta. Bring to a boil over high heat; add Parmesan cheese and butter. Stir constantly until thickened, about 3 minutes. Pour polenta into a large, round casserole dish, filling about 1 inch deep.
• Heat olive oil in a medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Cook and stir sausage, mushrooms, onion, and garlic in the skillet until sausage is browned and crumbly, about 10 minutes. Add wine, tomatoes, tomato paste, sugar, Italian seasoning, and oregano; cook over medium heat for 30 minutes.
• Pour tomato sauce mixture over polenta. Top with mozzarella cheese.
• Bake in the preheated oven until golden, about 20 minutes.

POLENTA WITH ITALIAN SAUSAGE AND VEGETABLES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Squeeze sausage out of casings into skillet, and saute over medium heat. Break sausage up into small pieces and cook until no longer pink.
• Remove sausage from skillet and discard drippings except 1 tablespoons.
• Saute onion and garlic in reserved sausage drippings until onion is soft. Add mushrooms and zucchini, stir frequently until all liquid evaporates. Stir in tomatoes, herbs, and red pepper flakes. Return sausage to skillet and simmer for 5 minutes.
• Spread an even scant amount of sauce (about 2/3 cup) on bottom of an 11x7 inch baking pan. Add a single layer of sliced polenta rounds. Layer with 2 cups of sausage sauce and 3/4 cup of Provolone.
• Finish with an additional layer of polenta rounds, all the sausage sauce, and all the Provolone. Sprinkle Parmesan on top.
• Bake uncovered at 350F for 30 minutes or until bubbly. Let cool 5-10 minutes before serving.