Easy Baked Polenta with Sausage and Vegetables

Sometimes at night, to save time, you have to begin the dinner process with pre-cooked, pre-packaged ingredients.  It's a must, to maintain sanity.  At least in my house.  But that doesn't mean you can't still get creative and have fun with what you cook, NO SIR!  (Sirs read this blog right?)  At the market yesterday, I brought home a tube of already-cooked polenta and a package of fully cooked chicken sausage and I whipped up the following dish.  It was very flavorful - even tasted somewhat sinful for something so healthy - and you could serve the sausage and vegetable sauce over pasta if you can't find polenta (it's usually low on the shelf in the pasta aisle).  

p.s. I was super excited to serve chopped up polenta to Jack with a little marinara and Parmesan.  I called it "Special Pasta!"  Like that, with an exclamation.  He took one bite and said, "no, I don't like all that orange stuff" (the sauce).  PICKY WICKY.  (I'm sorry I just said that.)

Easy Baked Polenta with Sausage and Vegetables

(Serves 4)

Printable Recipe

2 T extra-virgin olive oil

1 shallot, thinly sliced

1 clove garlic, finely minced

1/2 tsp fresh basil, finely chopped

1/2 tsp fresh sage, finely chopped

1/2 tsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped

1 zucchini, diced

1 yellow squash, diced

1 red pepper, finely diced

1 can diced tomatoes with garlic

1 pkg pre-cooked chicken sausage (or any variety you like)

1 pkg pre-cooked polenta

Salt and pepper

Parmesan

Preheat the oven to 375.  Heat olive oil in large skillet over medium heat.  Add shallots and sauté for 5-7 minutes, until they soften and begin to brown.  Add chopped herbs and garlic, sauté for another 5 minutes.  

Add zucchini, squash and red pepper.  Saute for 5 minutes and season with salt and pepper.  Add canned tomatoes and continue to simmer over medium-low heat for 10 minutes (or more).  Season with more salt and pepper to taste.  

Place vegetable sauce in a square baking dish.  Top with sliced sausage...

...and sliced Polenta.  Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.  

Bake for 10 minutes.  (I placed mine under the broiler for a few minutes after that.)