With a trip coming up we’ve been letting the fridge empty out as much as possible so it’s required a little creativity to cook dinner without normal staples I tend to keep around. This meal seemed to be a big hit.

Polenta with sausage in tomato sauce

1 cup polenta, uncooked
1 cup chicken stock
2 cups water
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup grated cheese (I used asagio and a bit of leftover cheddar)
1 package chicken sausage, sliced
28 ounces canned crushed tomatoes
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 sweet onion, vertically sliced
salt and pepper to taste

Cook the polenta in chicken stock and water seasoned with salt and pepper following package directions. (I used a mixture of coarsely ground whole grain polenta and plain old yellow cornmeal- something like 3:1) Stir in the butter and cheese and pour into a loaf pan. Let sit until it firms up and comes to room temperature. Cut into 8 slices.

Saute the onion in a little olive oil until it begins to soften. Add the sausage and bell pepper and cook a few minutes more until the sausage and veggies are just a bit colored. Add the tomato sauce and season to taste. Simmer until heated through.

In a nonstick pan, saute the polenta slices in a bit of olive oil over medium heat 2 or 3 minutes a side or until crispy and browned. Serve topped with sausage mixture.