Chicken Parmesan Meatballs Served In Cheesy Polenta Bowls

Chicken parmesan is up there on the list of Italian food classics, thanks to the delicious combination of tender fried chicken, tangy tomato sauce, and plenty of mozzarella and parmesan cheese. You can't really go wrong with that line-up of ingredients. While the traditional version of chicken parmesan is pretty close to perfect, we've come up with a fun, original way to make it even tastier, easier to make, and more fun to eat! These chicken parmesan meatballs served in bacon & cheese polenta bowls bring this classic dish to new heights. Everyone loves a good meatball and everyone loves chicken parm, so what's not to love?!

Yield: 6 servings
Prep Time: 45 minutes
Cooking Time: 25 minutes
Difficulty Level: Easy

You'll Need:

For the bacon & cheese polenta bowls:

  • 3½ cups polenta
  • 2¾ cups water
  • 2¾ cups milk
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp oregano
  • pepper & nutmeg to taste
  • 2 cups sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
  • 4 oz bacon, chopped & fried
  • 1 egg
  • ⅓ cup grated parmesan

For the chicken parmesan meatballs:

  • 1 lb ground chicken
  • 1 egg
  • 2 slices of day-old bread, grated 
  • ½ cup grated parmesan
  • ¾ cup black olives, chopped
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 tsp salt
  • ½ tsp pepper

For the topping:

  • 1¼ cups tomato sauce
  • 1½ cups shredded mozzarella


Here's How:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. For the bacon & cheese polenta bowls, heat the milk, water, olive oil, and seasonings in a saucepan and bring the mixture to a boil. Turn off the heat and stir in the polenta.

2. Let the polenta rest for about 5 minutes, then add in the egg, sun-dried tomatoes, fried bacon, and grated parmesan. Knead the polenta by hand until everything is thoroughly combined, then roll the polenta into 6 equally sized balls. Gently flatten the balls of polenta and make a well in the center of each one.

4. Place the 6 bacon & cheese polenta bowls in a casserole dish.

5. For the chicken parmesan meatballs, combine all of the ingredients by hand in a large mixing bowl. Rinse your hands and roll the ground chicken mixture into 6 equally sized meatballs. Place 1 meatball in the well of each of the the polenta bowls.

6. Ladle the tomato sauce over the meatballs and sprinkle shredded mozzarella on top. Transfer the casserole dish to the oven and bake the chicken parmesan meatballs at 350°F for 25 minutes. 

Chicken meatballs, bacon, polenta, tomato sauce, and plenty of cheese – this recipe is guaranteed to make your mouth water and to keep you coming back for more!

Get the recipe for the Stuffed Blooming Potatoes featured in the bonus video.

Comments

Also hefty