Name: Spicy Italian Sausage with Cheddar Grits and Cherry Tomatoes
Total time: 30 min
Cuisine: ItalianEurope
Ingredients: 3 cups water; 3 tablespoons unsalted butter; 1 teaspoon table salt, divided; 1/4 teaspoon pepper; 3/4 cup quick-cooking grits; 4 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (1 cup); 1 pound sweet Italian sausage, casings removed; 1 onion, chopped fine; 10 ounces cherry tomatoes, halved; 3 tablespoons chopped jarred hot cherry peppers, plus 1 tablespoon brine; 3/4 cup chicken broth

Why This Recipe Works

Punching up quick-cooking grits with butter and cheddar cheese made for a luscious, fast side to accompany this bold, saucy sauté of Italian sausage, tomatoes, and cherry peppers.

Before You Begin

Serve sprinkled with thinly sliced scallions. We developed this recipe using Quaker Quick 5-Minute Grits.

Instructions

Bring water, butter, ¾ teaspoon salt, and pepper to boil in large saucepan over high heat. Whisk in grits. Cover, reduce heat to low, and cook, whisking occasionally, until grits are cooked through, 5 to 7 minutes. Off heat, stir in cheddar. Set aside and cover to keep warm.

Cook sausage and onion in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until sausage is cooked through and onion is lightly browned, 5 to 7 minutes, breaking up sausage with wooden spoon. Off heat, using slotted spoon, transfer sausage and onion to bowl; set aside. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon fat from skillet.

Heat fat left in skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add tomatoes and remaining ¼ teaspoon salt and cook, without stirring, until just starting to brown, about 3 minutes. Stir in peppers and cook until tender, about 2 minutes. Add broth, pepper brine, and reserved sausage mixture to skillet and cook until slightly thickened, about 3 minutes. Serve sausage mixture on top of grits.