Cheesy Polenta with Sage Breakfast Sausage and Red Eye Gravy

Make the Polenta (You can do this the night before)

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/4 cup minced scallion or chive
• 3 cups water
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup polenta
• 1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese

1. Heat olive oil in medium saucepan. Add the water and salt and bring to a boil.
2. Stream in the polenta, stirring all the while, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, simmer polenta, stirring occasionally, until creamy, about 12 minutes. Toss in the scallions and grated cheese.
3. Line a sheet pan with parchment, brush oil over the parchment, and spread the polenta out about 3/4" thick. Let the polenta cool. Cut out cute shapes. Hearts are nice if you're feeling romantic. Stars are fun for the holidays.

Assemble Breakfast

• 4 Breakfast (sage) sausage patties, preferably homemade
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1 cup coffee
• 1 teaspoon sugar

1. In a large skillet, melt 2 tablespoons of butter and saute the polenta hearts until crispy on both sides. Put two hearts on each plate. Keep warm in the oven.
2. In the same skillet, add the sausages and cook until well browned and cooked through. Place one sausage on each plate and put them back in the oven.
3. Make a roux with the remaining butter and flour. Toast it to a nutty brown and then add the sugar, let it caramelize a bit, then add the coffee, scraping up the yummy bits from the skillet and boiling just until it thickens. Taste, correct for salt and pepper and thin with boiling water, if necessary.
4. Pour some gravy over the sausage and polenta and renounce your Yankee self.