Italian Sausage Stuffed Acorn Squash & Italian Sausage with Tomatoes & Spinach on a Bed of Polenta

Italian-Sausage-Stuffed Acorn Squash

Ingredients

½ acorn squash, with seeds removed

1 Italian sausage link with the casing removed (like Schnucks or Johnsonville Sweet Italian Sausage)

¼ cup  Del Monte Diced Tomatoes with Basil, Garlic, & Oregano

1 handful of spinach

Dash of Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper (I like Urzi's Bread Dipping Spice... I add it to everything Italian)

¼ cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Instructions

1. Fill a glass dish (a 9x9 or pie plate or something) with about an inch of water, and place the squash half (cleaned and with seeds removed) in it, cut-side up.  Microwave on HIGH for 7 to 10 minutes or until tender when pierced with a fork.  When done, leave in the microwave until ready to use.
2. Meanwhile, cook the Italian sausage in a small skillet.  When the sausage is done or about done, add the tomatoes, spinach, and a dash of Italian seasoning.  Cook until the spinach is thoroughly wilted.
3. Remove the squash from the microwave and fill with the sausage-tomato-spinach mixture.  Top with the Parmesan cheese.
4. Broil in the oven for 3 to 5 minutes or until the cheese is melted on top.  Serve!

Italian Sausage with Tomatoes & Spinach on a Bed of Polenta

Ingredients

1 to 2 Italian sausage link (like Schnucks or Johnsonville sweet Italian Sausage)

1 handful spinach

¼ cup Del Monte Diced Tomatoes with Basil, Garlic, & Oregano

Dash of Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper (I like Urzi's Bread Dipping Spice... I add it to everything Italian)

¼ cup yellow cornmeal (Quaker is high enough quality)

1 cup water

⅛ teaspoon salt

~ 1 tablespoon butter

~ ¼ cup Parmesan cheese

Instructions

1. Start by cooking the sausage in a small skillet.
2. Meanwhile, put ¾ cup of water into a small saucepan to boil.  Mix the other ¼ cup of water with the cornmeal and salt.
3. When the water is boiling, add the cornmeal-salt-water mixture, and stir for a few minutes until thick.  When the mixture becomes thick, add a small pat of butter and the grated Parmesan cheese.
4. When the sausage is done cooking, add the tomatoes, spinach, and Italian seasoning, and cook until the spinach is wilted.
5. Serve by spreading the polenta on the plate, topping it with the spinach-tomato-sausage mixture and sprinkling grated Parmesan cheese on top.
6. Enjoy!

Vegetarian Recipes

Double Bean Burgers (It's even easier to make these in a food processor)

Goat Cheese & Strawberry Grilled Cheese (I used spinach instead of arugula and left off the red pepper jelly)

Creamy Goat Cheese Risotto (strict vegetarians can sub a vegetable broth or the chicken broth)