Sausage, Pepper, & Egg Polenta

Sausage-Pepper-Egg-Polenta1-480x640

A few months ago, my father-in-law & his soon to-be-bride visited us for an extended weekend. They live in Florida, so we unfortunately don’t get to see them all too often. They are definitely classified as “foodies” so it was a pleasure having them in town, showing them some of our favorite restaurants & of course cooking several fancy dishes to share. They also share a love of cooking together, as do John & I, so there was plenty of help in the kitchen while they were here!

One of the meals that Karen made for us was a version of this polenta dish. Prior to this feast, I had never had polenta before! I guess I’ve just lived far too north my entire life. I was surprised to find it delightful thick, creamy & very warming. It reminded me a bit of a childhood favorite hot cereal, but with so much more flavor & it was the perfect meal to try to recreate for my 2nd recipe using my brand new food mill.

Sausage-Pepper-Egg-Polenta

Sausage, Pepper, & Egg Polenta
Ingredients

  • 1 cup cornmeal
  • 2 cups water
  • 2 cups milk
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1/2 pound Italian sausage
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1/2 medium onion, chopped
  • 1 red bell pepper, sliced into long strips
  • 1 jar spaghetti sauce
  • 1/2 cup shredded cheese
  • Fried egg(s) to top

Directions
Grind up your popcorn in your mill by first turning it on & then dumping the popcorn into the machine. Then make the polenta by heating the 2 cups of water with the 2 cups of milk until it comes to a boil. Add the salt & then gently whisk in the cornmeal in a steady stream. Continue whisking the cornmeal until it becomes thicker. Cover & let it simmer on low for about 30 more minutes, stirring vigorously every 10 minutes or so.

Meanwhile, in the tbsp of olive oil, brown the sausage. Once the sausage is nearly browned, add the minced garlic & onion. Once the sausage is browned & the onions are translucent, add the sliced bell pepper & the spaghetti sauce & mix well.

In a small skillet, cook your eggs to your desired liking (we usually do over easy).

Once the polenta is done, scoop out onto deep plates or bowls & top with the sausage mixture & then finish with an egg & a sprinkle of cheese. Serve immediately.

Recipe adapted from Karen Chandler (my step mother-in-law)

About The Haas Machine

John & Gillian Haas are the creators behind The Haas Machine. They like to blog about their simple DIY projects & recipes that they make for their family. When they're not creating, they like to enjoy spending time listening to records, hiking through the southern Wisconsin bluffs, & chasing their spunky 2-year-old daughter through the farmer's market.

Grain Mill Wagon Experience: I'll be honest & say that I was a bit intimidated when I found out that I would be receiving a grain mill. Although i love making food from scratch & the majority of what we make is pretty healthy, I was nervous that grinding my own grains would be just another thing for me to do. I'm a busy stay-at-home mama of one, pregnant with our second, & actively blog at The Haas Machine, so I was worried that another step in my cooking or baking process would be bothersome. I was relieved to discover that grinding my own wheat berries for flour in my homemade bread took no more time than my normal preparations! I also discovered that I can buy local organic grains in bulk within driving distance of our home, so I am saving a boatload of money (there's no way we could afford to buy organic flour). We've also been experimenting a bit with eating Paleo, so being able to grind up quinoa instead of buying the spendy quinoa flour has been a life-saver. Being encouraged to write 3 posts using the grain mill was the incentive that I needed to become more familiar with the machine & I'm so glad that I invested the time into using it because now we have a very practical kitchen appliance that will save us money, time, & help keep my family healthy.

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