Baked Polenta with Sausage

Rich, tomato-based casserole made with sweet Italian sausage, baked in a polenta crust and topped with mozzarella cheese. This is a great substitution for your typical pasta dish. Serve with a green salad and a loaf of Italian bread - doesn't get much better than this!

• Preparation Time: 15 mins
• Cooking Time: 1 hr 10 mins
• Total Time: 1 hr 25 mins
• Calories: 546 Calories

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon white sugar
• 1 cup milk
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 3 cups water
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
• ½ teaspoon dried oregano
• ½ cup chopped onions
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
• 1 ½ cups dry white wine
• 1 cup sliced mushrooms
• 3 cloves garlic, diced
• ½ cup shredded Parmesan cheese
• 9 ¼ ounces instant polenta
• 2 (3.5 ounce) links sweet Italian sausage, casings removed

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).

Step 2

Bake in the preheated oven until golden, about 20 minutes.

Step 3

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.

Step 4

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.

Step 5

Pour tomato sauce mixture over polenta. Top with mozzarella cheese.