White button mushrooms, lightly spiced Italian sausage, crunchy pine nuts and fresh rosemary with a sprinkle of grated Parmesan make for an absolutely amazing flavor combination atop polenta bruschetta… By posting this recipe for Mushroom and Sausage Polenta Bruschetta, I am entering a recipe contest sponsored by The Mushroom Council and am eligible to win prizes associated with the contest. I was not compensated for my time.
I don’t think there was ever a time when I did not love mushrooms. Even as a kid.
Fortunately Mr, Spicy loves them too, but SiSi and Big Tex are not fans {yet}. I’ve done a little experimenting however, and found out, that, if chopped up super teensy weensy, and blended in to meat, they will actually eat them, and, dare I say, enjoy them too! If you have kids and they like Sloppy Joes, add some chopped up mushrooms, stat!
BTW, the original title of this recipe was supposed to be Mushroom, Sausage & Pine Nut Stuffed Peppers…
But that was yesterday, before I found out that my oven door wouldn’t shut, and I realized it’s hard to bake stuffed peppers when your oven won’t shut, because then it won’t heat up properly, and therefore you would have been waiting an AWFULLY long time for your stuffed peppers.
Hence, you get to devour this super easy one { or maybe two} skillet recipe for Mushroom and Sausage Polenta Bruschetta that I’m making in honor of my hubby, because it’s his birthday today 🙂
Happy Birthday Sweetie!
And, speaking of that hubby, aka Mr. Spicy, I just realized I’ve never officially celebrated his birthday on the blog {like I have for SiSi and Big Tex}, so I think nows as good a time as any to tell you a little bit about the man I love…
Mr. Spicy’s Top 10…
He’s truly the most supportive husband ever, always encouraging me to follow my dreams, whether it’s taking time off from work to stay home with the kids, starting my own business, or planning a 2 week trip to Spain with my girlfriends {this October-yippee!} to walk the Camino and do a little sightseeing. Thank you!!!
He’s a natural born athlete who loves playing all sports, most especially baseball, snow skiing, and golf. We’re both a little on the competitive side when it comes to sports, and, sadly {for me}, the only thing I have ever beaten him at is bowling. Once. He says he doesn’t remember, but that may be because it was at one of his best friend’s wedding rehersal dinner, and I think he might have had a wee bit too much to drink that night. Not me of course 🙂
Speaking of drinks, he prefers beer to wine, the occasional dirty martini, and, when in Hawaii, only a lava flow will do. He also likes the occasional Diet Coke, which I give him a REALLY hard time about, but I have to give him kudos for cutting way, WAY back since we’ve been married, and replacing his DC with unsweetened ice tea.
He’s absolutely, positively, unequivocally one of the most generous people I know.
Favorite foods include lobster, steak, Brussels Sprouts, corn-on-the-cob, eggs, olives, macaroni and cheese with hot dogs {hmmm…}, and, of course, mushrooms. Least favorite foods {not many} are cold soup and bell peppers. Good thing my oven door wouldn’t shut, so I couldn’t make those stuffed peppers!
Here’s what his kids have to say about him…SiSi He’s athletic, kind, fun, crazy {I think she means this in a good way :-)}, and a good person. Big Tex He’s funny, nice, good at sports, and amazing!
He’s not really in to cooking, but he loves to eat {pretty much} everything I make him {lots of nutritious stuff!}, including this mushroom and sausage polenta bruschetta. He does like to grill, however, and is in charge of after dinner dishes which is why a one skillet meal is the perfect present for him. Less dishes to wash. You’re welcome honey!
He loves to travel just as much as I do {maybe even more} and would love to have a house in Switzerland {where we got engaged} one day, not far from the ski slopes and where he could drive his {dream} car, an Aston Martin. Did I say DREAM car??? It’s always good to dream BIG!!!
{I think} his perfect day would go something like this…Sleep in, read the sports pages in bed, do a workout {P90x or t25}, meet his dad for a round of golf, come home and have a B-B-Q with his family and friends, then snuggle up in bed with his wife and kids to watch an Elvis movie. Blue Hawaii, perhaps?
He pretty much never reads my blog {his internet surfing activity is more current events, politics, and sports related} but I’m going to make him read this post just so he know how much his family loves him, and that we wish him a very, very happy birthday!!!
And now for those mushrooms…
Mushroom and Sausage Polenta Bruschetta
White button mushrooms, lightly spiced Italian sausage, Crunch pine nuts and fresh rosemary with a sprinkle of fresh Parmesan make for an absolutely amazing flavor combination atop polenta bruschetta...Serve as a main dish, or as an appetizer.
3teaspoonshigh oleic sunflower or safflower oil, divided
1/2poundmild Italian sausage
2cupssliced white button mushrooms
1/4of a large sweet onion
1tablespoonfresh rosemary, plus extra for garnish
Fresh ground black pepper
1Polenta Chub {i.e. Ancient Harvest} cut in half lengthwise then in to 28 "half moon" slices
1/4cupgrated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
Heat a large skillet on medium, add pine nuts and toast for ~ 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove pine nuts from skillet and set aside in a medium size bowl.
Add 1 teaspoon oil to pan, add sausage, stirring well to break up and crumble. Cook sausage over medium heat for ~ 5 minutes or until done. Remove sausage from skillet and add to the bowl containing the pine nuts.
While sausage is cooking, place mushrooms, onion, and rosemary in a food processor with the chopping blade, and process until all ingredients are very finely chopped. After removing the sausage from the skillet, add the mushroom, onion, and rosemary mixture to the skillet, and cook over medium heat for ~ 3 minutes. Add the veggie mixture to the bowl containing the sausage and pine nuts. Top with fresh ground black pepper and stir well to combine. Cover the mixture to keep warm until ready to serve.
Use the same skillet (if there aren't any burned bits) to cook the polenta, or use another skillet if necessary. Heat skillet on medium, and add 1 teaspoon of the oil. Place half the polenta slices in the pan and cook for ~ 2-3 minutes on each side, or until desired crispiness. Remove polenta slices from the pan to a serving dish, and repeat with the remaining polenta.
Once all of the polenta slices are on the serving dish, top each slice with a generous amount of the mushroom/sausage mixture, then sprinkle a little Parmesan cheese on top. Garnish with fresh rosemary before serving.
Did you make this recipe?I'd love a 5-star review and rating if you liked this recipe! Any questions about the recipe or ingredients? Please let me know! Your rating and comments are so appreciated as they help me understand how I can serve you best. Thank you!
Nutrition, Tasting Notes, and Mushroom FYI…
Naturally gluten free. Omit sausage for a vegetarian version, or sausage and Parmesan for a vegan version.
The mushroom and sausage filling is equally fabulous all on it’s own out of a bowl, or would be delicious mixed w/ marinara or pesto on top of pasta or zucchini noodles or as a filling for an omelette-yum!
Do you have any favorite recipes using mushrooms in addition to, or in place of meat? Be sure and check out the Mushroom Council’s Swap It or Top It Contest for a chance to win some fabulous prizes, including a grand prize of $5000.00. Be quick though, as the contest closes Sunday, June 15th, 2014 {Happy Father’s Day!}
