Cheese Grits with Chicken Sausage and Shiitake Mushrooms

Ingredients

• 0.5 cup butter divided
• 8 ounce pasteurized cheese product cubed prepared
• 9 ounces mild chicken sausage smoked with apples and chardonnay fully cooked
• 0.5 teaspoon rosemary dried
• 2 large eggs lightly beaten
• 0.8 cup quick-cooking grits uncooked
• 0.3 teaspoon lawry's seasoned salt 
• 6 ounces mushroom caps 
• 3 cups water 

Equipment

• frying pan
• oven
• baking pan
• dutch oven

Directions

1. Cut sausage into 1/2-inch-thick slices; cut slices into quarters.
2. Cut stems from mushrooms and, if desired, reserve for another use; cut mushroom caps into slices.
3. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat; add sausage, and saut 7 minutes or until lightly browned.
4. Remove sausage from skillet.
5. Add mushroom caps to skillet, and saut 5 minutes or until tender.
6. Bring 3 cups water to a boil in a Dutch oven. Gradually stir in grits; return to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes or until thickened.
7. Add remaining 7 tablespoons butter and cheese; cook, stirring often, 5 minutes or until melted and blended.
8. Remove from heat; stir in eggs, rosemary, and seasoned salt until blended. Stir in sausage and mushrooms; pour mixture into a lightly greased 11- x 7-inch baking dish.
9. Bake at 350 for 45 to 50 minutes or just until set.
10. Sprinkle top with olives, if desired.
11. Note: For testing purposes only, we used Gerhard's Smoked Chicken Sausage with Apples & Chardonnay.