Spicy Italian Sausage with Cheddar Grits and Cherry Tomatoes

Ingredients

• 3 cup swater
• 3 tablespoon sunsalted butter
• 1 teaspoon table salt , divided
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 3/4 cup quick-cooking grits
• 4 ounce ssharp cheddar cheese , shredded (1 cup)
• 1 pound sweet Italian sausage , casings removed
• 1 onion , chopped fine
• 10 ounce scherry tomatoes , halved
• 3 tablespoon schopped jarred hot cherry peppers , plus 1 tablespoon brine
• 3/4 cup chicken broth

Instructions

1. Bring water, butter, ¾ teaspoon salt, and pepper to boil in large saucepan over high heat. Whisk in grits. Cover, reduce heat to low, and cook, whisking occasionally, until grits are cooked through, 5 to 7 minutes. Off heat, stir in cheddar. Set aside and cover to keep warm.
2. Cook sausage and onion in 12 inch nonstick skillet over medium high heat until sausage is cooked through and onion is lightly browned, 5 to 7 minutes, breaking up sausage with wooden spoon. Off heat, using slotted spoon, transfer sausage and onion to bowl; set aside. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon fat from skillet.
3. Heat fat left in skillet over medium high heat until just smoking. Add tomatoes and remaining ¼ teaspoon salt and cook, without stirring, until just starting to brown, about 3 minutes. Stir in peppers and cook until tender, about 2 minutes. Add broth, pepper brine, and reserved sausage mixture to skillet and cook until slightly thickened, about 3 minutes. Serve sausage mixture on top of grits.