Slow cooked polenta bowl with sausage and cheese for reliable calories
Easier-to-swallow option below ↓Start with coarse polenta and cook it long and slow with stock. Stir in plenty of parmesan110 kcal and a knob of butter102 kcal at the end. Sausage is cooked until it falls apart easily. The result is a bowl around 580 calories that you can eat from one side and leave the rest.
Long cooking breaks down the polenta grains completely. The fat from butter and cheese110 kcal carries the mild sausage flavor through every bite. No separate steps mean less time standing and more time resting while it simmers.
I set a timer and walk away. The low heat does the work without me watching every minute.
Why it works
The extended simmer turns the polenta creamy without constant stirring. Extra cheese and butter at the finish keep the texture smooth and the calories high. Sausage pieces stay tender because they are added after the long cook.
Slow cooked polenta bowl with sausage and cheese for reliable calories
Ingredients
- 1 cup coarse polenta
- 4 cups chicken209 kcal stock
- 1/2 lb mild Italian sausage
- 3/4 cup grated parmesan
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1/4 tsp salt
Method
- Bring stock to a simmer in a heavy pot. Whisk in the polenta gradually.
- Reduce to low, cover, and cook 35-40 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes until creamy.
- While polenta cooks, brown sausage in a skillet then add a splash of stock and simmer covered until very tender.
- Off heat, stir parmesan and butter into the polenta until glossy.
- Spoon polenta into bowls, top with sausage pieces and any pan juices.
Nutrition figures are home-kitchen estimates, not lab-verified Nutrition Facts. This is food and comfort guidance, not medical advice.
Make it your own
- Make extra polenta base and reheat portions with a splash of stock.
- Mild sausage keeps the flavor gentle; spicy works if you prefer a kick.
- Leftovers reheat well and stay soft for the next day.
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