Spicy Chicken Sausage Cacciatore on Creamy Polenta

Spicy Chicken Sausage Cacciatore on Creamy Polenta

2 1/2 cups water
1 cup cornmeal
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 cup grated Romano cheese
1 T butter (optional)
1 tsp olive oil
1 16 oz package sweet Italian chicken (or turkey) sausage
8 oz sliced mushrooms
2 (14.5 oz) cans fire-roasted tomatoes
1/4 cup dry red wine
1/4 cup chopped basil leaves
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp fresh chopped rosemary

1.  Mix the first 4 ingredients in a 2-quart saucepan.  Heat over medium-high heat, stirring constantly until mixture boils and is the consistency of mashed potatoes.  Stir in Romano cheese until melted.  Stir in butter.  Place lid on pan and keep warm over very low heat.

2.  Heat olive oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet.  Add sausage and cook until brown all over and cooked through.  Move sausage to a plate.  Add mushrooms to same skillet and cook until lightly browned and softened.  Stir in tomatoes, wine, basil leaves, red pepper flakes, and rosemary.  Simmer for 5 minutes.  Add sausage back to skillet and heat through.

3.  To serve:  spoon 1/2 cup polenta into each of 6 bowls.  Top each with sausage mixture and a sprinkling of grated Romano cheese.  Garnish each with a basil sprig.  Serves 6.

From Cooking Light Reader Recipe Contest - Gilda Lester, Millsboro, DE