Creamy Polenta with Mushroom and Sausage Ragu

Have you ever read the "Splurge vs Steal" section of Marie Claire magazine? You know, the section that shows you witch Target nail polish will look exactly like the Chanel one you really wanted. How about the "Just Like Us" section of Us Weekly? You know, the section that shows you how walking your dog at 5am so they won't eat the couch while you're at work is exactly like walking your dog at 2pm on a Tuesday in sunny Brentwood. Totes the same, right? Those are always my fave parts of magazines - Cooking Light included! My favorite pages in Cooking Light are the "Feed 4 for Under $10." Love it! Sometimes they are not that cool, like another grilled sammy. But oftentimes they are awesome. This one is awesome. It's been on regular rotation in our house since I first read it back in 2010.

Creamy Polenta with Mushroom and Sausage Ragu - from Cooking Light
Serves 4

For the Ragu
Olive oil
1 pound of sausage - removed from it's casings (I used sweet Italian chicken sausage)
1 medium onion - chopped
1 pound mushrooms - sliced
2 large garlic cloves - minced
1 can of diced tomatoes - with all the juices
Pinch of salt
Pinch of red pepper flakes - about 1/4 teaspoon or less if you like milder food
Pepper

For the Creamy Polenta
2 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 1/2 cups water
1 cup polenta
4 ounces cream cheese

I love Better Than Bullion for recipes that call for a small to medium amount of broth. It's easy to mix up however much I need, it keeps in the fridge for a long time, and I don't waste cups at a time from a larger carton.

In a large, high sided pan, cook sausage and red pepper flakes in olive oil until browned on all sides, about 5 minutes. Add in mushrooms, onions and garlic and cook until onions have softened and mushrooms are tender. About 7 minutes. Add in salt and canned tomatoes. Simmer for about 15 minutes. The mushrooms will release all of their juices and the sauce will become richer as it cooks.

While the sauce cooks, start on the polenta. Boil the water and chicken broth in a pan with a lid. Once the liquid boils, add in the polenta and stir well. Cover and reduce to a simmer. Cook for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Cut the cream cheese into chunks and stir it into the polenta until well incorporated and smooth. 

Dish up polenta and spoon over the mushroom ragu. Top with a bit of Parmesan cheese for some extra goodness. 

A few things about this recipe...

I'm always looking for ways to lower meat and up veggies in recipes. I've made this with a lot of zucchini and no meat. I've also added roasted red peppers. Alternately, I've made this with chopped chicken thighs and even with sliced steak. It's really adaptable. 

Grits is polenta. Polenta is grits. Both are just coarse-ground cornmeal. Antoinette has a great Shrimp and Grits recipe... check it out here.

Enjoy!

Shrimp and Grits...the way I like it :)

Shrimp and grits may not seem like a fitting duo to some, but to Southerners, it’s a staple dish that is known for bringing families and friends together.  I haven’t had the greatest luck with finding a restaurant that makes it how I like it so I decided to try it at home for myself.  My husband is from the South so I knew it would be right up his alley! 

    

My secret ingredient in this shrimp and grits is the Southwestern seasoning.  I used the McCormick brand because it has chipotle pepper.  I feel like this is what many other shrimp and grits dishes are missing.  For me, I like my grits creamy but not runny and I like my shrimp to stand out and not to be swimming in gravy.  I guess everyone has their own preference but today, I’m sharing mine with you :)

 

Shrimp and Grits

3 oz Andouille sausage (1 link), diced

1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

1c sliced white onion

1c sliced green pepper

1 tsp garlic

1 lb peeled, deveined large shrimp

1 ½ tsp salt, divided

½ tsp black pepper

1 tsp Southwestern or Creole spice mix

1 ½ c grape tomatoes, halved

1 tsp hot sauce

¼ c green onion, sliced

2c milk

1c water (plus more if needed)

1c quick-cooking polenta

1 tbsp butter

½ c grated Parmesan cheese

Heat 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil on medium-high.  Add sausage and sauté until sausage starts to brown.  Add onion and green pepper to pan and sauté until soft and onions become translucent (about 4-5 mins).  Add garlic and sauté for another 2 mins.

While sausage mixture cooks, heat milk and water in a large saucepan until boiling.  Slowly whisk in polenta.  Add ½ tsp salt and stir.  Reduce heat to minimize splatter.  Cook slowly, whisking frequently, for 5 mins or until polenta is cooked and the mixture is creamy.  Add 1 tbsp butter to polenta and ½ c of Parmesan; whisk until well mixed.  Add water if mixture thickens, until desired texture is attained.

Meanwhile, season shrimp with spice mix.  Add shrimp to sausage mixture and heat 2-3 mins on each side or until just cooked through.  Reduce heat.  Stir in tomatoes, hot sauce, remaining salt and pepper and cook until tomatoes are just blistered.

Serve shrimp mixture over grits and sprinkle with green onions for garnish.

Note: This goes great with greens!  You can dice up some extra andouille sausage and add to the greens for some added smokiness. 

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