Stuffed Chicken and Herb Gravy with Creamy Polenta

I am seriously starting to think that Cooking Light has a way to read my thoughts. It’s like they know exactly what ingredient I want to work with next, or a particular product I might be craving. And I don’t mind that one bit.

The latest issue has a recipe for Stuffed Chicken and Herb Gravy with Creamy Polenta that upon seeing in the magazine, I immediately put on my boots, coat, hat, scarf, gloves, etc. etc. and headed for the supermarket, despite the slippery and freezing walk I had ahead of me (it’s a whopping 5 blocks away, but I still managed to almost fall a good 3 times). And I have to tell you, it was worth it.

(I posted this photo to Instagram before I left for the supermarket. hehe)

Chicken breasts stuffed with prosciutto and provolone, over creamy polenta, topped with an herb gravy… What’s not to like? The recipe suggested making it with bacon green beans, but we had some Brussels sprouts in the freezer that I wanted to use so I substituted them in instead.

Ingredients:

CHICKEN AND GRAVY:

• 4 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
• 2 very thin prosciutto slices (about 1/2 ounce), halved
• 4 (2/3-ounce) slices reduced-fat provolone cheese
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons minced shallots
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
• 1 1/2 cups unsalted chicken stock, divided
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh tarragon

POLENTA

• 2 cups 1% low-fat milk
• 1/3 cup unsalted chicken broth
• 1/2 cup uncooked polenta (I just used yellow corn meal)
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• BACON BRUSSELS SPROUTS
• 12 ounces frozen Brussels sprouts
• 3 tablespoons water
• 2 bacon slices, chopped
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper

I just wanted to point out, yellow corn meal and uncooked polenta are basically the same thing. Polenta, however, has a more standard ground consistency than polenta. But past that, same stuff. Plus, I couldn’t find “uncooked polenta” in my supermarket.

Also, as usual, I can’t follow directions so I cut my chicken incorrectly. You want to cut it horizontally without cutting all the way through so that it opens like a book and you can stuff the cheesy-prosciutto-y goodness inside. So my way is wrong. But it still tasted delicious so no complaints here!

To make the chicken, either cut it the correct way or feel free to live dangerously and do it my way (it just won’t be nearly as pretty my way).

Add 1/2 prosciutto slice into each pocket and top with 1 cheese slice. Press the top flap of the pocket down over the filling (if you did it correctly that is).

Heat a large saute pan over medium high heat and add the oil, swirling to coat. Season the chicken with pepper and add the chicken to the pan. Saute 5 minutes or until deeply browned.

Turn over and cook for an additional 4 minutes or until cooked through. Remove from pan and keep warm.

Add the shallots and thyme to the pan and cook for 30 seconds, stirring constantly.

Combine 2 tablespoons chicken stock and the flour in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk.

Add the remaining chicken stock and flour mixture to the pan. Bring to a boil and cook for 3 minutes, scraping the pan to loosen browned bits.

Stir in the butter, parsley and tarragon.

Add the chicken to the pan, cover, and return to heat over low to keep warm until ready to serve.

To make the Brussels sprouts, cook the bacon in a large saute pan over medium high heat until done, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove the bacon from the pan with a slotted spoon and reserve. Add the Brussels sprouts, tossing to combine. Add water, cover, and cook for 2 minutes. Add the bacon back to the pan, tossing to combine. Season with pepper.

To prepare the polenta, bring the milk and 1/3 cup chicken stock to a simmer.

Gradually add the polenta, stirring constantly with a whisk for 3 minutes, or until thick. Stir in 1/4 teaspoon salt.

Add the polenta to a plate and top with a piece of chicken. Spoon the herb gravy over the dish. Serve with bacon green beans or bacon Brussels sprouts if desired.

I honestly didn’t have much faith in this gravy, it seems just too easy to make. But it was so tasty! The polenta will soak it up a bit so be sure to add a little extra to your plate.

The chicken was really tasty, which isn’t exactly surprising given it’s stuffed with prosciutto and provolone! Because of the way I cut the chicken, the melted cheese didn’t exactly make for a pretty photo but that didn’t affect the taste! We polished off this meal in minutes.

This meal comes together really quickly too so it’s great for a weeknight!