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    Home » Recipes » Sheet Pan Meals

    Polenta with Sausage

    Published: Sep 15, 2020 · Modified: Jan 13, 2024 by Jenny Meier

    Jump to Recipe

    Polenta with sausage is an easy sheet-pan dinner that combines Italian sausage and sliced polenta with roasted peppers, tomatoes and fresh basil. There's almost no prep work required, just combine the ingredients on a sheet-pan for this gorgeous dinner bursting with Italian flavors.

    If you're looking for a creamy polenta recipe, try my easy creamy Instant Pot polenta.

    Baked sausage and polenta. this recipe

    If you want a really easy weeknight dinner that looks amazing when you set it on the table, try this combination of baked polenta slices with sausage and peppers.

    The polenta slices are crispy on the outside and creamy in the middle. The sausage is browned and juicy and the tomatoes and peppers are roasted to perfection. Topped with fresh basil leaves (and optional cheese!) this is favorite easy sheet-pan dinner.

    Looking for more meals with Italian flavor? Try Instant Pot chicken parmesan pasta or lentil soup with Italian sausage.

    Jump to:
    • Ingredients & Variations
    • Step-by-Step Recipe Instructions for Polenta with Sausage
    • Recipe FAQ
    • More Sheet-Pan Recipes
    • 📖 Recipe

    Ingredients & Variations

    Labeled ingredients for this recipe.

    Sausage: I use sweet Italian sausage for this recipe, but you can use any type of raw sausage. Don't use pre-cooked sausage, unless you want to wait and add it in the last 10 minutes of roasting (otherwise it might get dry and overcooked).

    Peppers: Mini sweet bell peppers are really colorful and convenient because you can roast them whole. They're sold in bags in the produce department.

    Tomatoes: Cherry or grape tomatoes can be roasted whole, or sliced in half if they're large.

    Other vegetables: You can make this recipe using other types of vegetables, such as cauliflower, broccoli or zucchini.

    Sliced polenta: Tubes of pre-cooked shelf stable polenta are ready to be sliced, heated and served. Polenta tubes are sold at most grocery stores. Look for polenta tubes near the packages of uncooked polenta or in the pasta aisle.

    If you'd like to make your own homemade sliced polenta, try this recipe for baked polenta. The warm baked polenta can be poured into an 8x8 pan and then chilled until firm and sliceable.

    Basil: Fresh basil adds vibrant color and flavor and makes this meal a little more special. If necessary, you can skip the basil or use parsley instead.

    Shallot: Thinly sliced shallot adds more flavor to this recipe, but isn't absolutely necessary. You could also substitute thinly sliced onion.

    Add cheese: You can grate parmesan over the finished meal or add shredded mozzarella in the last five minutes so it melts over the entire sheet-pan. Yum!

    A full ingredient list with exact amounts can be found in the recipe card below.

    A sliced tube of polenta.

    Step-by-Step Recipe Instructions for Polenta with Sausage

    For detailed instructions and ingredient amounts, see the recipe card at the bottom of the post.

    Mini sweet bell peppers, cherry tomatoes and sliced shallots on a sheet-pan.

    Step 1: Spread peppers, tomatoes and sliced shallot out on a sheet-pan lined with foil.

    Sausage links on a sheet-pan with peppers.

    Step 2: Add sausage and prick each sausage link 4 times with a paring knife to prevent bursting. Toss everything in a generous coating of olive oil. Bake 20 minutes at 450F.

    Sliced polenta and sausage on a sheet-pan.

    Step 3: Add sliced polenta to the pan. Roast 10 minutes more.

    Baked and browned sausage links, roasted sweet mini bell peppers and sliced polenta with basil and peppers.

    Step 4: Broil for about 2 minutes for extra crispy sausage and veggies. Add fresh basil before serving. Cheese is optional!

    Recipe FAQ

    Can I make this recipe with creamy polenta?

    Yes! Just follow my recipe for creamy baked polenta and/or Instant Pot polenta. You can follow the recipe here to roast the sausage, peppers and tomatoes separately, then combine the creamy polenta with the roasted sausage and peppers for dinner.

    What else can I do with sliced polenta?

    Slices can be fried in a pan, grilled, or warmed in the oven. The flavor of polenta is mild so it pairs well with most types of meat and vegetables.

    What type of meat goes best with polenta?

    Any type of sausage pairs well with polenta, including roasted kielbasa. Polenta is also good with shredded pork shoulder or cider-braised pork and pork meatballs. Short-ribs and other cuts of beef pair will polenta, and so does Instant Pot bolognese.

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      Sheet Pan Salmon and Green Beans with Sesame-Lime Dressing
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    If you try this Polenta with Sausage recipe please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how the recipe turned out in the 📝 comments section below. I love hearing from readers!

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    📖 Recipe

    Polenta with Sausage

    Italian sausage with sliced polenta rounds, mini bell peppers and tomatoes.
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    5 from 1 review

    Polenta with sausage is an easy sheet-pan dinner that combines Italian sausage and sliced polenta with roasted peppers, tomatoes and fresh basil. There's almost no prep work required!

    I usually serve this meal with a toasted baguette and an arugula salad on the side. You might also consider roasting a second sheet-pan of roasted vegetables to bulk up the dinner. 

    • Author: Jenny Meier
    • Prep Time: 10
    • Cook Time: 30
    • Total Time: 40 minutes
    • Yield: 4
    • Category: Sheet-pan
    • Method: Roast
    • Cuisine: Italian American
    • Diet: Gluten Free

    Ingredients

    Units Scale
    • 1 pound raw Italian sausage (sweet or hot)
    • 1 pound mini sweet bell peppers (or 3 regular bell peppers, sliced into 1-inch wide strips)
    • 8 to 16 ounces cherry tomatoes (halved if large)
    • One 18 to 24-oz tube of polenta, sliced into ½-inch thick slices
    • 2 shallots, peeled and sliced
    • Fresh basil, for garnish
    • Olive oil

    Instructions

    1. Heat the oven to 450F. Line a sheet-pan with foil. 
    2. Spread the peppers, tomatoes and shallot out on the sheet-pan. 
    3. Add the sausage to the pan. Toss everything in a generous coating of olive oil. Prick each sausage link 4 times down the length of the sausage with a paring knife to prevent bursting.
    4. Roast for 20 minutes. Add the polenta slices to the pan. Flip the sausages. 
    5. Roast 10 minutes more. 
    6. Optional: Turn on the broiler and broil the sheet-pan for about 2 minutes, turning the sheet-pan once, to evaporate some moisture and brown the sausage and veggies even more.
    7. Scatter fresh basil leaves over the sheet-pan. I let the sheet-pan cool slightly, then put it directly on the table for serving. 

    Notes

    If you don't cover the pan with foil, the sausages will stick and burn to the pan slightly. 

    Adding cheese is optional. You can cover the sheet pan with shredded mozzarella in the last 5 minutes of roasting in the oven or you can grate parmesan over the sheet-pan before serving. 

    This recipe can work well with other types of vegetables too, such as broccoli, cauliflower and/or zucchini. You can also add a can of drained garbanzo beans to the pan. 

    You can use a different type of raw sausage. Don't use pre-cooked sausage or it might turn dry if heated for 30 minutes in the oven. 

    Please rate and review this recipe!

    Your reviews help other readers. They also help me provide the best recipes possible. Thanks!

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      Recipe rating 5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

    1. Jenny Meier says

      September 24, 2024 at 9:43 am

      I love how easy this dinner is to throw together. Plus, lots of flavor and it looks amazing on the table!

      Reply
    Kitchen Skip foodblogger and recipe developer Jenny Meier

    Hi, I'm Jenny!

    I'm a food blogger with a culinary degree and a busy Mama of two who now works full-time in education. I create easy dinner recipes for busy parents like you!

    More About Me

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    Sliced polenta on a sheet-pan with sausage and peppers.
    Italian sausage and sliced polenta on a pan.
    Sausage links with mini bell peppers and sliced polenta.