I’d like to think I’m pretty adventurous when it comes to my food. Maybe that’s why trying to stick to a high protein, low carb/fat diet is so hard… Everything I like is a carb, a fat, or a fat-soaked carb. Really, it’s not fair.
Now that I’m dealing with an auto-immune disease, I’ve got to be really picky about what I eat. Pretty much every food I love is on a big, long list called “things you shouldn’t eat.”
The folks at Al Fresco read about some of my issues and asked me to give their all natural chicken sausage a try. Because sausage is on my no-no list, even though I haven’t been a fan of chicken sausage in the past, I decided “why not?”
I have to say, one bite and I was in love. Healthy food that’s full of flavor, inexpensive, and quick and easy to prepare is right up my alley.
I was inspired to make this dish because I’m in love with this sausage, but also because I’ve got an early batch of tomatoes that have come in. This moist, herb-seasoned sausage paired perfectly with the roasted tomatoes and the creamy polenta (which I decided to make after my husband said “no more cornbread for dinner please”). Not to toot my own horn, but this was hearty and filling and positively glowing with fresh, clean, summer flavors. It’s utterly cravable.
I cannot wait to fire up the grill and throw these on there… Finally, I have a healthy, all-natural meat I can enjoy without worrying that I’ve broken my diet. Did I mention I’m obsessed with their teriyaki ginger meatballs? Yum…
Sweet Italian Chicken Sausage with Basil Polenta and Oven Roasted Tomatoes
A Disney Chef original recipe by Jerusha
Ingredients
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes
- 6 cloves garlic
- olive oil
- salt, to taste
- 1 small sweet onion, diced
- 3 cloves of garlic, minced fine
- 1 15.25 ounce can sweetened creamed corn
- 1 cup milk
- ½ cup water
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- ½ cup ground yellow cornmeal
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup fresh basil, shredded (or 1 tablespoon dried)
- 1 sprig fresh oregano, diced (or 1 teaspoon dried)
- ⅓ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 package Al Fresco All Natural Sweet Italian Chicken Sausage
- ½ cup Marsala cooking wine (or broth, water, or apple juice)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400. Toss cherry tomatoes and garlic in olive oil and spread evenly on a foil-lined cookie sheet. Sprinkle with a small amount of salt. Roast in 400 degree oven for about 20-25 minutes or until tomatoes burst and begin to dry and brown very slightly. Keep warm until ready to serve.
- Meanwhile, combine onion and garlic in a large saucepan or pot and saute over medium-high heat until onions are translucent and garlic is fragrant, about three minutes. Add creamed corn, cook about 3 minutes. Add milk, water, brown sugar, cornmeal, and olive oil.
- While whisking constantly, bring to a light boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and cook until the polenta is creamy and of a texture similar to oatmeal, about 20-30 minutes.
- Be sure to stir frequently during the cooking process to prevent burning. Toss in herbs and cheese and keep warm, re-hydrating with a few tablespoons of water if it becomes too dry. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Slice Al Fresco Sweet Italian Chicken Sausage in half lengthwise and remove the casing. Brown cut-side down in a hot frying pan 4 minutes or until slightly browned. Flip, add wine and cover pan, cooking an additional 2-4 minutes or until alcohol has burned off and chicken sausage is completely warmed.
- To serve, put polenta on a plate and top with oven dried tomato mixture, then sliced sausages. Sprinkle with additional cheese and herbs to garnish, if desired. Serve immediately
Disclaimer: This post uses products by Al Fresco Gourmet. Al Fresco Gourmet challenged me to create a new, exciting recipe using their sausage.
I was compensated with free product for use in creating said recipe and did not receive financial compensation. The recipe is created by me and all opinions are my own, because that’s how I roll.
Sweet Italian Chicken Sausage with Basil Polenta and Oven Roasted Tomatoes
Sweet Italian Chicken Sausage with Basil Polenta and Oven Roasted Tomatoes
