Community Corner
Chicken Over Cheesy Polenta
Tired of the grill already? Donna's whipping up awesome chicken and polenta indoors.
There are literally hundreds of ways to prepare chicken and you all know by now that I am all about taste and simplicity.
My recipe for Chicken over Cheesy Polenta is what I call my comfort pollo. The red tomato sauce takes on a completely different flavor when cooked with chicken. I promise you will be in love at first bite.
You will need four chicken thighs, two chicken breasts, five chicken legs, a generous amount of flour (about two cups), pepper, salt, garlic powder, Italian seasonings, paprika, two eggs, three tablespoons milk, olive oil, one Vidalia onion sliced, six minced garlic cloves, 28 ounces of crushed tomatoes, six sprigs of parsley finely chopped, two bay leaves, one cup of corn grits, three cups of water and grated cheese.
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Coat the bottom of a large sauté pan with oil and heat up on medium.
Pour the flour in a plastic bag. Add two teaspoons pepper and salt, one tablespoon garlic powder, two heaping tablespoons of Italian seasonings and 1 ½ teaspoons paprika. Shake.
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Whisk the eggs and milk together in a shallow pie plate and soak the chicken parts in it.
Toss the chicken in the bag of flour and completely coat it. Carefully place them in the oil and lightly brown. Turn over and do the same. Remove the chicken from the pan and lay on a plate. You may have to do this in batches.
Sauté the garlic and onion in the same pan and add the tomatoes, a little salt, parsley and bay leaves. Bring it to a boil.
Return the chicken to the sauce and bring to a simmer. Lower the heat and cook approximately 45 minutes. Slightly cover with a lid leaning it to the side creating a vent. It’s also good for blocking any splashes.
In a medium sized pot boil the water. Sprinkle salt and add the corn grits also know as polenta. Cook according to the package. Fold in the grated cheese about ½ cup worth and scrape it into a greased deep dish pie plate and let cool. When cooled flip it over on a plate.
Slice the polenta into triangles and plate on a dinner plate. I know, I know we are using a lot of plates. But nonetheless, lay the chicken parts of your choice atop the polenta and ladle a generous amount of sauce on the side.
Let your taste buds be your judge and you, too, may want to add another comfort dish to your recipe collection.
Until next time, mangiare bene!
