Polenta and Sausage Pies

Homey, filling cold-weather comfort food! Recipe is from Better Homes and Gardens.

• Ready In: 55 mins
• Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 1  lb hot Italian sausage (casings removed if present)
• 1 1⁄2 cups  chopped red sweet peppers (2 medium)
• 1 1⁄2 cups  chopped green sweet peppers (2 medium)
• 1⁄2 cup  chopped onion (1 medium)
• 1  garlic clove, thinly sliced
• 1⁄2 teaspoon  dried Italian seasoning, crushed
• 1 (14 1/2ounce) can stewed tomatoes, drained
• 1⁄4 teaspoon salt
• 1⁄8 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2  tablespoons  instant polenta
• 4  cups water
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons salt
• 1 1⁄3 cups  instant polenta
• 1⁄2 cup  grated parmesan cheese (2 ounces)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease six broiler-proof 8- to 10-ounce ramekins; set aside. For filling, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add sausage; cook about 5 minutes or until brown, using a wooden spoon to break up meat as it cooks. Drain off fat.
2. Add sweet peppers, onion, garlic, and Italian seasoning to sausage in skillet. Reduce heat to medium; cook for 5 minutes more. Stir in tomatoes, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and black pepper. Cook for 3 minutes more.
3. Remove skillet from heat. Stir in the 2 tablespoons instant polenta.
4. For polenta mixture, in a medium saucepan bring the water and the 1-1/2 teaspoons salt to boiling. Add the 1-1/3 cups instant polenta to the boiling water in a thin stream, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to medium; cook and stir polenta about 3 minutes or until medium-soft. Remove from heat. Stir in 1/3 cup of the Parmesan cheese.
5. Divide filling among prepared ramekins. Top filling in each ramekin with about 1/2 cup of the polenta mixture. Sprinkle with remaining Parmesan cheese.
6. Bake, uncovered, for 25 minutes.