Sausage, peppers, and onions are a classic combination, often seen served up at baseball games, stuffed inside of soft hoagie rolls. When the same sausage, pepper and onion mixture is served up over a creamy, cheddar cheese polenta, the ingredients come together and become something truly magical.
Note that this recipe is fairly rich and heavy—it would pair wonderfully with a beautiful green salad dressed in an acidic & mustardy vinaigrette.
The recipe below provides roughly 6 large-sized portions.
Sausage, Peppers, & Onions over Cheddar Cheese Polenta
Sausage, peppers, and onions are a classic combination, often seen served up at baseball games, stuffed inside of soft hoagie rolls. When the same sausage, pepper and onion mixture is served up over a creamy, cheddar cheese polenta, the ingredients come together and become something truly magical. Note that this recipe is fairly rich and heavy—it would pair wonderfully with a beautiful green salad dressed in an acidic & mustardy vinaigrette.The recipe below provides roughly 6 large-sized portions.
Ingredients
For the Cheddar Cheese Polenta:
- 6 cups water
- 3 tsp kosher salt
- 1.75 cups cornmeal
- 2 sprigs thyme
- 6 Tbsp salted butter, softened
- 1.5 cups cheddar cheese, grated
- ¾ cup of whole milk
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- Salt, to taste
For the Sausage, Peppers & Onions:
- 1 Tbsp vegetable oil
- 6 sausages of your preference, I like to use both hot and sweet Italian
- 3 Tbsp butter
- 2 medium-sized white onions, cut into large ¼” thick slices
- 2 medium-sized red bell peppers, cut into ¼” thick slices
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 2 Tbsp fresh parsley, roughly chopped, as garnish
Instructions
For the Cheddar Cheese Polenta:
- Bring 6 cups water to a simmer on the stove in a soup pot.
- Add 3 tsp kosher salt to the water and stir to combine.
- Whisk in cornmeal and turn heat to low, making sure to stir mixture every few minutes.
- Add the thyme and cook the polenta mixture uncovered for 20 minutes total, making sure polenta isn’t sticking to the bottom while it is cooking.
- When the polenta has cooked for 20 minutes, add the softened butter and stir until butter is incorporated.
- Remove the sprigs of thyme and discard.
- Stir in the grated cheddar cheese and mix until incorporated.
- Stir in the whole milk and heavy cream and mix until incorporated.
- Taste the finished polenta and adjust seasoning, if necessary.
For the Sausage, Peppers, & Onions:
- Heat the vegetable oil on medium heat in a saute pan.
- Add your sausages and gently cook them through on the stove, turning them frequently in the oil and keeping the heat at medium to avoid bursting the skins.
- Cook for about 10 minutes, or until the sausages are cooked through.
- Remove sausages from the pan and set aside, covered with aluminum foil to keep warm.
- Add your butter and sliced onions to the pan and cook on medium-high heat for 5 minutes.
- Add the peppers and cook for an additional 10 minutes.
- Remove from heat and combine with the cooked sausages.
- When you are ready to serve, place a big scoop of the polenta on the bottom of each plate, and top with the sausage, peppers, & onions.
- Garnish with some fresh parsley and enjoy!
Notes
You can reheat all of these items and serve them up a second day. They are arguably better made fresh, especially the peppers & onions.