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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.