Hello! It’s been a little while. I didn’t post last week because life was hectic—Owen was home sick, and caring for a child makes recipe testing and food photography nearly impossible. Then we moved into a new house last Sunday. We hired movers who packed everything up for us, which was a huge help, but now we’re still sorting through boxes. We can’t find a few everyday items like lamps and Owen’s Paw Patrol sheets, and about half of my spice cabinet is MIA—curry, vanilla extract, cumin—gone. I did manage to find my knives, thankfully.
Because of all this, posts may be a bit sporadic while we get settled. Luckily I have a couple of recipes ready to share, including these pesto chicken polenta bowls with burst tomatoes.
When Owen is under the weather I usually make him chicken soup. That often leaves extra cooked chicken after shredding some for the soup, which I love—cooked chicken is a versatile shortcut for simple weeknight dinners.
For these bowls I toss warm shredded chicken with homemade basil pesto and chopped spinach, then serve it over creamy, cheesy polenta. Roasted burst cherry tomatoes and toasted pine nuts finish the dish. It’s a straightforward, one-bowl meal that feels a little special. Serve it with a green salad or sautéed greens if you like, but it stands well on its own.
- 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
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Toss the tomatoes with olive oil in a small baking dish and season with salt and pepper. Roast 15–20 minutes, until softened and starting to burst. Set aside.
- Make the pesto: combine basil, spinach, garlic, pine nuts, salt, and pepper in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. With the machine running, drizzle in the olive oil until emulsified. Transfer to a container and stir in the Parmesan.
- For the polenta, bring 6 cups water to a boil in a medium-large saucepan. Slowly whisk in the polenta and cook, whisking constantly, until thick and pulling away from the sides, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in salt, pepper, and Parmesan.
- Toss the warm shredded chicken with 1/2 cup pesto, the chopped spinach, and the pine nuts.
- Divide the polenta among four bowls. Top each with a quarter of the chicken mixture and a quarter of the roasted tomatoes. Serve warm.
