Well hello! Long time no see. I can’t believe it’s been over a week since my last post. But what a week! For starters, Owen was sick and stayed home from school. I don’t know about other mom bloggers, but I basically find it impossible to test recipes or take photos while simultaneously being in childcare mode.
And then, last Sunday was our big move to our new house. We splurged on movers who packed everything for us. It was a total lifesaver, except now we have no idea where anything is. We can’t find any of our lamps or Owen’s beloved Paw Patrol sheets, and while I was able to locate my knives (thank goodness), things like my vegetable peeler, salad tongs, measuring cups, and about half of my spice cabinet (curry! vanilla extract! cumin!) remain a mystery.
All this is to say, things might be a little slow around here for the next couple of weeks as we try to get our life in order. Fortunately, I do have one or two recipes up my sleeve to share with you, like these pesto chicken polenta bowls with burst tomatoes. ↓↓↓
Whenever Owen is sick, I make him chicken soup. Even after shredding some into the soup, I’m always left with a bunch of extra cooked chicken. Not that I’m complaining! It’s a great blank slate for creating tons of different easy weeknight dinners.
For this recipe, I tossed some warm chicken with homemade basil pesto and chopped spinach. Then I piled it on top of cheesy polenta, and added some burst cherry tomatoes and toasted pine nuts to finish.
This is a simple, one dish meal that feels just a little bit elegant. Serve it with a green salad or some sautéed broccoli rabe if you like, but really it doesn’t need anything else. Not even a plate, which is a good thing, since we can’t find ours anywhere…
- 2 cups cherry or grape tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 1/2 cups loosely packed basil
- 1/2 cup loosely packed baby spinach
- 1 clove garlic, chopped
- 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 1/2 cups instant polenta
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 3 cups cooked, shredded chicken, warmed
- 1 cup chopped baby spinach
- 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
- To make the burst tomatoes, preheat the oven to 400°F. In a small baking dish, toss the tomatoes with the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast until the tomatoes have softened and are beginning to burst, 15 to 20 minutes. Set aside.
- Meanwhile, make the pesto. Combine the basil, spinach, garlic, pine nuts, salt, and pepper in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. With the motor running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil. Transfer to an airtight container and stir in the Parmesan cheese. (Pesto can be made several days in advance.)
- To make the polenta bowls, bring 6 cups of water to a boil in a medium-large saucepan. Slowly whisk in the polenta. Cook, whisking constantly, until thick and just pulling away from the sides of the pan, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the salt, pepper, and Parmesan cheese.
- In a small bowl, toss the warm chicken with 1/2 cup of pesto, spinach, and pine nuts.
- Divide the polenta between 4 bowls. Top each bowl with 1/4 of the chicken mixture and 1/4 of the tomatoes. Serve warm.
Kristen @ A Mind Full Mom says
Wow!! You have been quite busy! I will say that a move and sick child would put anyone out of commission for awhile! You did an amazing job on this recipe though–I am drooling over it 🙂
Lucy Baker says
Thanks Kristen! I was just looking at your delicious Cold Be Gone smoothie. I totally caught my son’s illness, so I could use one right about now 🙂
Mary says
These look so delicious, healthy, and comforting. Beautiful photos too! I just pinned it to make with my kids.
Cynthia Rusincovitch says
I love the meal matchups! The side dishes match that meal perfectly. Gorgeous colors as well! Great presentation all the way around.
Valentina | The Baking Fairy says
I absolutely adore polenta! These little polenta bowls with pesto and chicken and tomatoes are basically combining all of my favorite things 🙂 Pinning for sure! And good luck unpacking the house! I know the aftermath of moving is almost worse than the packing!
grace says
great colors and flavors! i will always migrate toward dishes with polenta or grits. 🙂
Linda @ 2 Cookin' Mamas says
I’ve been looking for more recipes that will pair well with polenta and this one has everything going for it! Love pesto, love chicken and love cheesy polenta. Thanks and good luck with the new house!
Dee says
This looks incredible, and I”m seriously drooling here! On one of our moves, my neighbor packed up everything before we even left, and I had no idea where anything was for the longest time. But the help was awesome. Enjoy your new home! 🙂
Aarika says
This sounds amazing! Polenta is so mild and bland tasting and this recipe spices it up with flavor. Yay! I love your gorgeous blog. Stunning pictures. Cheers!
Rebekah | Kitchen Gidget says
This looks amazing – I must say I’ve never cooked with polenta before, but this looks so comforting! Congrats on the new home and good luck with the unpacking!
Rachel @ Simple Seasonal says
What a beautiful dish! Polenta is so yummy and with the pesto and tomatoes it has got to be awesome! Happy to hear you survived your move! They’re never fun, and it takes so long to get settled into a new home. One box at a time! Best wishes and congratulations!
Sam | Ahead of Thyme says
I’ve never heard of polenta but this looks so good!! Thanks for sharing
Jane says
This sounds and looks beautifully delicious! I LOVE polenta.
Bethany @ Athletic Avocado says
Hello beautiness in a bowl! I LOVE everything about this bowl! Pesto is my favorite thing in the whole entire world!
Liz @ The Clean Eating Couple says
Oh my goodness.. these look fabulous!! I think I’m going to try to make these with my meal prep next week!!