Quick Italian Dinner
The hardest part about this dish was coming up with a name for it. Um, there's sausage.... and there's cheesy grits....and it's Italian tasting because of the marinara sauce. All of the ingredients speak for themselves, but the sum of their parts resulted in fabulousness...something I know Hubby thinks I spent a great deal of time preparing... not the 10 minutes it took me to throw it together when he called to tell me he was leaving the office last night at 6:15! You can see by the ingredient list that its a versatile dish... use what you can find or have on hand. It'll be good I promise.
Ingredients:
1 lb smoked sausage, sliced into 1" chunks [I used Boar's Head spicy sausage links, but a plain ol' Hillshire Farms smoked link would be great too]
1 large red onion, sliced
1 cup grits [or polenta for the fancier types]
2 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup shredded cheese [I used a Mexican blend because its what I had in the refrigerator, but an Italian blend or cheddar would be just fine]
1 jar marinara sauce [I used a tomato-basil, but your favorite sauce will work]
parmesan cheese, to garnish
Directions:
In a large skillet over medium heat, add the sliced sausage and onion. Cook for about 8-10 minutes, stirring occassionally to ensure even browning on both sides of the sausage pieces and onions.
Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, bring chicken broth to a boil and slowly stir in grits. Bring to a boil and continue cooking per package directions (about 5 minutes). When grits are finished cooking, stir in cheese and mix well.
To serve, pile a heap of grits onto your plate, top with sausage and onion mixture and a few tablespoons of warm marinara sauce. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and enjoy! And remember, nobody has to know you didn't just slave over a hot stove for the last three hours preparing this fabulous Italian dinner. Your secret is safe with me!
Now I'm off to make more Caramel Corn....