Sauce-y Sausage and Grits

A seafood allergy in our home means shrimp and grits aren’t typically on our dinner menu. This recipe for Sauce-y Sausage and Grits is equally as satisfying! With creamy grits, Italian Sausage, and a quick tomato sauce – this dish is truly a satisfying dinner dream come true, perfect for any night of the week! It just might even become a weekend brunch star.

As with shrimp and grits, using quality grits is key here. Lakeside and Moss tend to be staple brands in our house. The addition of milk/cream, in lieu of cooking them with water only, gives them the perfect texture. For the sausage, use your favorite. I opted to use Sweet Italian Turkey Sausage for this recipe, but you could 100% use pork with excellent results. For the sauce, be sure to use fresh herbs if you have them, especially fresh basil.

I hope you enjoy this dish! Let me know if you give it a try. Happy eating!

Sauce-y Sausage and Grits

Servings: ~4-6
Cooking Time: ~30 minutes

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup yellow grits
• 2 cups water
• 1 cup whole milk (*Note – feel free to use a bit of half and half or heavy cream if you have it, up to 1/4 cup.)
• 3 TBSP butter
• 1 TSP salt, plus extra to-taste
• Black pepper
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 – 2 packs Sweet Italian Turkey Sausage links (use what you need for the number of people you’re serving), sliced into round pieces.
• Yellow, red, green peppers, thinly sliced (use as many as you desire. I used half of every pepper color.)
• 1/4 cup Vidalia Onion, thinly sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 can (28 oz) Whole San Marzano Tomatoes
• Fresh chopped parsley and basil, to-taste (I used around 1/2 cup of basil, packed, around 2 TBSP fresh chopped parsley)
• Dash of nutmeg
• 1 TSP honey
• Additional salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper to taste (for the sauce)
• Parmesan cheese (for serving)

Preparation

1. In a medium-large pot on medium-high, whisk together grits, water, milk, butter, 1 TSP salt, and a sprinkle of black pepper. Bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer on medium-low. Cover with a lid and let simmer for ~25 minutes, stirring occasionally (*note – cooking time and amount of liquid needed will vary based on the type of grits you use. Be sure to read the instructions on the label). After 25 minutes, check for desired consistency and taste. Add additional milk, salt, and pepper if needed. Reduce heat to low and cover to keep warm.
2. In a large skillet on medium, drizzle in a little olive oil, enough to cover the pan. Add in the sausage, onions and peppers. Sauté until sausage is fully cooked and onions and peppers have softened. Remove from pan and set aside.
3. Drain/wipe off any grease that may remain in the skillet from the sausage. Return the skillet to the range and turn heat to medium. Drizzle in a little more olive oil. Add in the garlic and sauté until lightly browned. Stir in the tomatoes, herbs, nutmeg, honey, salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper (to taste). Use a potato masher or the back of a large spoon to crush the tomatoes. Adjust heat to medium-low and let simmer ~5 minutes. Taste and adjust for flavor, as needed.
4. Return the sausage, onions and peppers to the skillet with the tomato sauce. Stir and let heat for ~3 minutes more.
5. Serve the sausage mixture over warm grits. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Enjoy!