Chicken Sausage with Creamy Polenta and Onion Gravy

Let's talk about quick and easy weeknight dinners because it's a subject that comes up often around here. It's actually most likely to come up at about 6:00 pm when I look up from my computer screen and realize that I haven't planned anything for dinner.

So that's when I take a moment to consider my options: take-out (nah), scrambled eggs (again??) or a kitchen rummage to see what I've got that's quick. And because I know I'm going to be having this conversation with myself on a regular basis, I try to stock my kitchen with good, quick cooking item.

One item I frequently have in the fridge is pre-cooked flavored sausages. I only need to heat them through and while I'm doing that I can make a quick gravy and a pot of easy, creamy polenta. My go-to is Al Fresco's chicken sausages because they have less fat and sodium than traditional sausages but are still packed with flavor. There are 10 varieties and I usually keep a few different ones around. For this dinner I grabbed the sweet and smoky BBQ but pretty much all of them would work for this simple recipe.

The inspiration comes from the British classic of bangers and mash but using the short cuts of the pre-cooked, and lighter, chicken sausage and the quick cooking polenta. That onion gravy, though? That's a must. Enjoy!

Yield: 2 Servings

Author: Anita Schecter

Chicken Sausage with Creamy Polenta and Onion Gravy

Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 20 MinTotal time: 30 Min

Recipe for a quick and easy dinner of chicken sausages served over creamy polenta with an onion pan gravy.

Ingredients

For the Gravy:

• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 1 Onion, peeled and sliced
• 4 Links Al Fresco chicken sausage, sliced on a diagonal
• 1 Tablespoon butter
• 2 Tablespoons all purpose flour
• 1 1/2 Cups low sodium chicken stock
• 1 Teaspoon mustard
• 1 Tablespoon cream
• 2 Tablespoons chopped parsley
• 1/4 Teaspoon black pepper
• Salt to taste

For the Polenta:

• 1/2 Cup polenta (finely ground cornmeal)
• 2 Cups water
• 1/2 Cup milk
• Salt to taste

Instructions

1. Add the olive oil and sliced onion to a large skillet or cast iron pan. Saute until a light golden brown.
2. Add the butter and flour and stir until the onions are coated. Slowly whisk in the chicken stock, mustard and cream.
3. Add the sliced sausage and continue cooking, on medium low, for about 10 minutes. Stir in the parsley and season with salt and pepper to taste.
4. To make the polenta, add the cornmeal, water and milk to a pot. Cook, stirring often, on low heat for about 20 minutes or until the mixture thickens. Season with salt.