Italian Sausage and Polenta Bites

Difficulty: Intermediate
Makes: 24 appetizers
Nutritional Information (per serving): Serving Size 1 of 24 servings; Calories 85; Total Fat 5 g; Saturated Fat 2 g; Carbohydrates 6 g; Dietary Fiber 0 g; Sugar 1 g; Protein 4 g; Cholesterol 14 mg; Sodium 153 mg
Total Time: 1 hr 25 min
Preparation Time: 20 min
Resting Time: 10 min
Cooking Time: 55 min

1 pound hot or sweet Italian sausage links
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 red bell peppers, chopped
1 cup chicken stock
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup cornmeal
1 tablespoon butter
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
24 saltine crackers
1 1/2 tablespoons scallions, thinly sliced diagonally

Whip up these irresistible Italian Sausage and Polenta Bitescrispy, creamy, and bursting with flavor! Perfect for your next party, they'll have guests raving and reaching for more.

Instructions:

Heat the olive oil in a hot saut pan and cook the sausage links until fully cooked, about 45 minutes. Remove, rest for 5 to 10 minutes, then slice into roughly two dozen pieces. In the same pan, gently saut the chopped red bell peppers until soft, then drain thoroughly.
While sausage cooks, prepare the polenta: In a large heavy-bottomed saucepan, gently heat chicken stock and heavy cream over medium heat without scorching. Slowly whisk in cornmeal in a thin stream, stirring constantly. Once incorporated, reduce heat to low, whisk until thick and creamy. Stir in butter and cooked peppers. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.
Assemble these crowd-pleasers: Scoop polenta onto each saltine cracker, top with a sausage slice, add a tiny dollop (about 1/8 teaspoon) of polenta, and garnish with one or two scallion slices. Serve warm and watch them disappear!