Chicken Polenta, Pesto, Backcountry (Makayla)


Ingredients
12 servings
oil, olive or canola
0.25 cup(s)
salt, garlic
2.0 teaspoon(s)
pepper, black
1.0 teaspoon(s)
Tomato Paste (can)
12.0 ounce(s)
Water
12.0 fluid ounce(s)
Italian Seasoning
4.0 teaspoon(s)
red pepper flakes, optional
0.5 teaspoon(s)
Sugar (any)
2.0 teaspoon(s)
parmesan cheese, grated
3.0 cup(s)
Chicken (canned / pouch)
1.0 pound(s)
Polenta or corn grits, Winco Bulk
4.0 cup(s)
Butter / Margarine
0.5 cup(s)
Pesto, Vegan
1.0 jar(s)
Bouillon cube
12.0 whole
Broccoli
5.0 cup(s)

Dietary Restrictions
Dairy
Poultry

Recipe Instructions

Note: this recipe is vegetarian if you leave out chicken.

Instructions:

TO PREPARE POLENTA:
1. Water to polenta ratio is 1:3, so for every 1 cup polenta, you need 3 cups boiling water.
2. In large pot, heat 3 times as much water as you have dry polenta. e.g., for 4 cups dry polenta, heat 12 cups of water.
3. Add enough veggie or chicken bullion cubes to flavor boiling water before adding polenta (1 bullion cubes usually flavors 1 cup of water into broth).
4. Heat water & bullion cubes just to boiling over medium-high heat. Make sure bullion cubes are completely dissolved.
5. Reduce heat to medium; very slowly beat in cornmeal with whisk or fork. Continue to beat constantly 2 to 3 minutes or until mixture thickens. Be careful not to burn! Reduce heat to very low; cover and cook 5 minutes, take pot off heat, set to the side, and insulate pot (with lid on it) for 10 -15 minutes while sauce is being made.
6. A few minutes before serving with the sauce, stir in 2/3 of the Parmesan cheese and all the butter into the polenta.

To PREPARE THE SAUCE:

1. In a pot, Mix tomato paste with equal amount of water to turn it into sauce. Add garlic salt, black pepper, Italian seasoning and sugar. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer 5 minutes.

2. Add chunks from chicken pouches to the NON-vegetarian people’s sauce, or add it when serving in their individual bowls.

3. Serve sauce over warm cooked polenta (which is gluten free) or pasta, and sprinkle top with the remaining parmesan cheese (1/3 of the grated Parmesan cheese).