Baked Polenta W/italian Sausage Mushrooms and Three Cheese

Title:
Baked Polenta W/italian Sausage Mushrooms and Three Cheese

Yield:
6 Servings

Categories:
Cheese,
Italian,
Meats




Ingredients:





     1 tb Fruity olive oil


     1 sm Yellow onion; chopped


     2 lg Garlic cloves; minced


     1 md Red sweet pepper


          -- cored, seeded & chopped


   1/2 lb Mild Italian sausage


          -- with fennel seed & garlic


          -- casing removed


   1/2 lb Fresh crimini, button or


          Other mushrooms as available


          -- trimmed and thinly sliced


 2 1/2 c  Milk, broth or water


   3/4 c  Yellow cornmeal


          -- preferably stone-ground


     1 tb Fresh sage; chopped


     1 tb Fresh Italian parsley


          -- chopped


   1/4 ts Ground cayenne pepper


     1 c  Skim or whole-milk ricotta


   1/2 c  Gruyere or


   1/2 c  Other Swiss cheese


          -- shredded


          Salt and pepper; to taste


     4 tb Melted butter or margarine


     4 tb Grated Parmesan cheese


          Fresh Tomato Sauce*





---------------------------------GARNISHES---------------------------------


          Italian parsley; chopped


          Herb sprigs





 *Fresh Tomato Sauce recipe posted separately.


 


 Hill and Barclay write: "This is our idea of comfort food!  Bland cornmeal


 needs a real shot of flavor, so don't hold back on the herbs."


 


 Heat olive oil in a medium skillet; saute onion, garlic and sweet pepper


 until hot through.  Add crumbled sausage and continue cooking just until


 meat changes color.  Stir in mushrooms and cook until hot through. Drain


 excess fat and set mixture aside.


 


 Place milk or other liquid in a large, heavy saucepan over moderately high


 heat; slowly add cornmeal, stirring briskly with a wire whisk to prevent


 lumping.  Bring to a boil and cook 10 minutes, or until mixture is very


 thick and smooth; stir constantly to prevent scorching.


 


 Remove pan from heat and stir in herbs, cayenne pepper, and ricotta and


 gruyere cheeses.   Add sausage and sweet pepper mixture, combine well, then


 season to taste with salt and pepper.


 


 Pour mixture into two 9" pie plates lined with plastic wrap.  Cool on a


 wire rack, then cover and refrigerate at least an hour, or as long as three


 days.


 


 When ready to serve dish, preheat oven to 375 F.  Cut polenta in wedges and


 place on an oiled shallow baking pan large enough to hold polenta in one


 layer without crowding.  Drizzle with melted butter and sprinkle with


 Parmesan.  Bake 15 to 20 minutes, or until polenta is lightly browned and


 very hot when tested with a small knife in center of wedge. Serve with


 Fresh Tomato Sauce.  Garnish with chopped fresh parsley and sprigs of


 herbs.


 


 From Madalene Hill and Gwen Barclay's "Sage through the Ages" article in


 "The Herb Companion."  Dec. 1993/Jan. 1994, Vol. 6, No. 2. Pg. 32. Posted


 by Cathy Harned.


 


 File ftp://ftp.idiscover.co.uk/pub/food/mealmaster/recipes/mmdjaxxx.zip