Savory Sausage and Cheese Polenta Bake

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• 2 cups traditional or quick-cooking polenta (alternatively, use a tube of store-bought pre-cooked polenta for convenience)
• Butter for greasing the baking dish, plus extra for dotting on top if desired
• 1 pound fresh Italian sausages, sliced 1/2 inch (12 mm) thick
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 medium red onion, chopped
• 2/3 cup low-sodium beef stock, chicken stock, or vegetable broth
• 3 tablespoons a fragrant blend of finely chopped fresh rosemary and sage
• Sea salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 12 ounces Taleggio cheese, chopped or grated (Fontina makes an excellent substitute)
• 1 1/2 cups Parmesan cheese, grated

1. Begin by preparing the polenta. Follow the package directions for your chosen type (traditional or quick-cooking). If using pre-cooked tube polenta, skip this cooking step and proceed to slicing in Step 5.
2. Once cooked, transfer the warm polenta to a wooden cutting board or a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Spread it evenly to a thickness of about 1/2 inch. Allow it to cool completely until it sets firm, which should take at least 45 minutes. This cooling process is crucial for clean slicing later.
3. Preheat your oven to 350°F (177°C). Lightly butter a 9-by-13-inch (23-by-33-cm) baking dish, ensuring all surfaces are coated to prevent sticking.
4. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the sliced Italian sausages and cook, breaking them apart as needed, until they are thoroughly browned and cooked through, typically 5 to 10 minutes.
5. Add the chopped red onion to the skillet with the sausage. Sauté until the onion softens and becomes translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in the stock or broth, half of the finely chopped rosemary and sage, and season generously with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Remove the skillet from the heat.
6. Now, slice the cooled, set polenta into pieces approximately 1/2 inch (12 mm) thick. Arrange a single layer of polenta slices at the bottom of your prepared baking dish. Distribute half of the savory sausage mixture over the polenta. Follow with half of the chopped or grated Taleggio cheese and half of the grated Parmesan cheese. Repeat these layers with the remaining polenta, sausage mixture, Taleggio, and Parmesan. Finish by sprinkling the remaining fresh herbs over the top. For an extra rich and golden crust, dot the top with 1 to 2 tablespoons of butter cut into small pieces, if desired.
7. Bake in the preheated oven for about 40 minutes, or until the casserole is beautifully browned on top and bubbling vigorously around the edges. Allow it to cool for a few minutes before serving warm, allowing the cheeses to set slightly for easier serving.

Adapted From

Long Nights and Log Fires

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Serving: 1 portion
Calories: 1082 kcal
Carbohydrates: 68 g
Protein: 54 g
Fat: 66 g
Saturated Fat: 32 g
Monounsaturated Fat: 19 g
Trans Fat: 0.2 g
Cholesterol: 174 mg
Sodium: 2407 mg
Fiber: 2 g
Sugar: 2 g

Sofia Reino

Sofia found this recipe to be a perfect make-ahead option for a weeknight. She embraced the convenience of store-bought polenta, which simplified her prep significantly. While she used turkey sweet Italian sausage, she questioned the need for a full tablespoon of olive oil, suggesting that the fat from the sausage and cheeses might be sufficient. The dish was a hit with her family, serving up to 5, and she plans to make it again.

Pat Francis

Pat described the casserole as creamy, cheesy, and satisfying comfort food. The Italian sausage added a wonderful aroma and an extra “punch” to the dish. She noted that letting the polenta set for 45 minutes was ideal, resulting in firm, easy-to-cut slices. Due to its softness, she chopped the Taleggio instead of grating it. Though the liquid distribution was a minor issue, it was easily resolved on the plate. Pat confirms it’s a solid, hearty meal, albeit requiring some time for preparation.

Alexander Cowan

Alexander found the dish as comforting as cornbread stuffing but “elevated” by the sausage and cheese. He managed to fit all ingredients into his baking dish, topping it with a tablespoon of butter. The bake time was perfect, resulting in a beautifully bubbly casserole with an enticing aroma that filled his entire home. He even suggested it would make an excellent side dish for Thanksgiving.

Irene Seales

Irene, a self-proclaimed adult polenta lover, found this traditional dinner version to be a “great success story.” She successfully scaled the recipe down for two people and experimented with a spicy chorizo from a local butcher. She highlighted Telame as a good substitute for the melty cheese component, a tip from an Italian friend. Using Bob’s Red Mill polenta, she carefully sliced and arranged it in an oval baking dish. Despite being a “half-recipe,” it generously served four due to its richness. Irene looks forward to trying other sausages, suggesting merguez or beef and chive, and even proposing a vegetarian version with wild mushrooms and shallots.

Natalie Reebel

Natalie hailed this as “comfort food at its best,” praising the delightful combination of polenta, cheese, and sausage. She shaped her polenta into a loaf for cooling and found it sliced perfectly after about an hour and a half. The casserole fit beautifully into a 13×9-inch pan, making for a lovely presentation. Unable to find Taleggio, she successfully used fontina cheese as a substitute and dotted the top with a tablespoon of butter.

Linda M.

Linda also rated this as a “great comfort food dish,” highlighting how the rosemary, sage, and red onion truly enhanced the polenta alongside the cheese and sausage. She enjoyed the leftovers for breakfast! For future preparations, she considered cooking the sausages whole before slicing. She also suggested omitting the butter in the final step, as she found the finished dish a little greasy from the abundant cheese.