Italian food is in my blood. A huge part of my love for cooking stems from cooking with my grandparents and mom. There are many aromas, ingredients and dishes that bring back the most wonderful memories to me. While there is no duplicating my grandmas cooking {why is it that even when they tell you what to do it never tastes the same???}, I do love putting my own twists on dishes. Chicken bolognese is not a dish my grandmother would make but I love using chicken in place of beef. So came this dish, Chicken Bolognese over Creamy Polenta.
The sauce is a bit chunky, a lot hearty and delicious! Carrots, celery, onions, garlic, tomato, lean chicken and fresh basil. Simmer away for a few hours and let those flavors develop. The polenta, oh that polenta, its such a simple thing but I absolutely LOVE it!! It literally takes 5 minutes to cook, is so creamy and so good! Chicken broth, salt, pepper, butter and grated pecorino. The bolognese over the polenta…. well lets just say I ate two bowls!
Ingredients
- 6 cups chicken broth {1/2 cup additional if needed}
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 lb quick cooking polenta
- 4 Tbsp butter
- 1/2 cup grated pecorino cheese
- 1 lb ground chicken
- 2 - 28 oz cans crushed tomatoes
- 2 celery stalks, small dice
- 2 carrots, peeled & small dice
- 4 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1/2 red onion, small dice
- fresh basil
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- salt & pepper
Instructions
- In a large pot, over medium heat, add the olive oil, carrots, celery, onion and garlic. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Cook until softened.
- Add in the ground chicken and break up the meat with a potato masher or wooden spoon.
- Stir in the crushed tomatoes, a handful of fresh sliced basil, salt and pepper. Simmer for a couple of hours.
- Just before serving you can go ahead and make the polenta. Bring the broth up to a boil.
- Shut the heat and slowly whisk in the polenta until smooth. Stir in the salt, pepper and butter. Continue to stir until the butter is melted and the polenta is creamy.
- Stir in the grated cheese and serve with the bolognese over top.
- NOTE: if the polenta thickens too much, add a little bit of extra broth until creamy again.
Linda (Meal Planning Maven)
What a lovely dish…comfort food at its best!
Angela LeMoine
Thank you!!! I could eat polenta all the time! Love it!
Prairie Gal Cookin'
This looks really yummy! I think I have a new weekday meal idea – Thanks!! 🙂
Angela LeMoine
Awe, love it! Thanks so much for stopping by! Hope you enjoy it as much as we did!
Nicole Neverman
This sounds like my perfect dish!! Chicken and polenta are both favorites of mine but I really don’t cook polenta as much as I would like. Thanks for giving me a great new recipe to try 🙂
Angela LeMoine
Me too! i don’t know why I don’t make polenta more often! Its cheap and so easy…. and of course YUM!
christine
Bolognese is one of my favorite dishes. I don’t make it often because it takes so long. I love the lighter spin w/ using chicken.
Michelle @ A Dish of Daily Life
This looks so good!! I don’t know why we don’t make bolognese more often…everyone likes it here! We’re going to have to try your recipe! So glad to have you back at Foodie Fridays! Happy Friday!