I can’t wait to ring in the New Year! Or more importantly close the book on this one. Once the holiday leftovers are history, here is a dinner you might want to try. This recipe from Martha Stewarts magazine comes together quickly using purchased pre-cooked polenta and store bought marinara sauce. It is an attractive, delicious one dish meal, needing just a green salad to complete it.
I had two large chicken breasts, which I sliced in half lengthwise to make 4 cutlets. One caveat – do use a non-stick skillet to saute the polenta slices and chicken. The first time I made this I didn’t, and even with a good amount of olive oil the polenta stuck badly to the pan. Kind of a mess. But the dish was so tasty I gave it another try and the combination of olive oil and a non-stick pan made the difference. Another suggestion might be to limit the time under to broiler to just a minute or two, or skip it altogether. I’m using Martha’s lovely photo instead of mine which looked rather less appetizing with its singed olives and cheese.
8 slices (each 1/2 inch thick) precooked polenta, such as San Gennaro (about 12 ounces total)
1 pound chicken cutlets (4 large pieces, each 1/2 inch thick)
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
3 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
3/4 cup mixed pitted olives, halved
2 Tbs. capers
1 Tbs. minced garlic (from 2 to 3 cloves)
1 1/2 cups homemade or store bought Marinara ( I love Rao’s)
3 ounces low-moisture mozzarella, shredded (3/4 cup)
Chopped fresh parsley leaves, for serving (optional)
Preheat the broiler with rack 6 inches from heating element. Season polenta and chicken with salt and pepper. Heat a large ovenproof skillet (preferably cast iron) over medium-high; swirl in 2 Tbs. oil. Add polenta and cook, flipping once, until golden and crisp on edges, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Add chicken to skillet; cook until browned on edges and cooked through, about 2 minutes a side. Transfer to a plate. Add 1 Tbs. oil, olives, capers, and garlic to the skillet; cook until fragrant, 30 seconds.
Stir marinara into skillet; bring to a boil. Remove from heat; nestle in chicken and polenta, shingling them and spooning some sauce over the top. Sprinkle with cheese; broil until bubbly, 4 to 5 minutes. Top with parsley and serve. Serves 4.
Note: I thought fresh basil made more sense for a garnish than parsley. But whatever you’ve got!
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Made this tonight mainly because I was looking for a recipe to use up olives I had left over. It was easy, and very tasty. I used a sun dried tomato & garlic polenta and added a sprinkle of smoked paprika to the polenta & chicken seasoning of salt & pepper. I found I needed to use the whole jar of marinara sauce, but that might have been due to the larger oven proof skillet I had. I also used slivers of fresh basil once it came out from the broiler. We all agreed it was a keeper recipe and I loved the ease of prep & short time to get it on the table. Served it with a tossed salad.