Chicken Parmeatballs & Crispy Polenta

Pasta and meatballs? I say polenta and parmeatballs! Change up your meatball routine with these chicken parmesan inspired meatballs served over crispy pan fried polenta. 

Man am I terrible at keeping you folks up to date with my life or what? Not that it’s big news or anything but remember the house that I mentioned recently that is close enough to bike to work but worried wouldn’t pan out because it was available in October and my current lease isn’t up until December? Well, it worked out for moving in December! Not buying, still a renter for now until that pesky savings account looks cushy-er (or rather comes to exist in general) but it’ll make life so much better, being closer to work and pretty much all the things I love in this city. The only downside is moving in the winter, again. It supremely sucked last time due to the extra frigid temperatures Ohio was experiencing. Moving when the temperatures are single digits or negative (as the highs people), is not advised. Hopefully it won’t be as bad this year ::crosses fingers and knocks on wood::

In the meantime, any decorations/organization schemes I still had planned for the current residence has come to a screeching halt and in fact I’ve already started purging things. I have a habit of getting rid of things I don’t need whenever I move which is obviously a good thing – less to move! However, while I cannot stand the commute and the layout of the current house is a little weird in spots, I am going to miss it a little bit. Thankfully it’s mostly decor such as my fun painted entry way, photo gallery stairwell, faux Roman shade, etc that I can obviously redo in some form or another in the new place. And there’s so much to look forward to in the new place beyond location such as a space in the backyard for an herb/veggie garden! Swoon.

In honor of taking what I do like about my current residence and incorporating it into the new, I decided to take an old favorite recipe and turn it into something slightly different. These chicken parmeatballs were originally stuffed with Mozzarella and served over pasta. This time around there’s no cheese inside (much to my dismay I did not have any Mozzarella) and instead they are served over crispy rounds of polenta, drizzled with some pasta sauce and a little bit of homemade pesto. Pesto wins every time! (I hope my little potted basil plant can survive long enough to be transplanted to the new place.)

One year ago: Bourbon Fudge Brownies

Two years ago: Nutella Swirl Whole Wheat Banana Muffins

CHICKEN PARMEATBALLS & CRISPY POLENTA

Serves 3-4

Ingredients:

1 lb ground chicken breasts

1 Tbsp grill seasoning blend

1 egg, lightly beaten

1/2 cup grated Parmesan, plus more for garnish

1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs

Handful of parsley, chopped

18 oz. pre-cooked refrigerated polenta

3-4 Tbsp olive oil

1 cup pasta sauce, divided

1/4 cup basil pesto (or homemade)

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil and lightly coat with nonstick spray; set aside.
2. Place chicken in a large bowl and season with grill seasoning. Mix in the egg, Parmesan, bread crumbs, and parsley. Form 12 meatballs and place on prepared baking sheet. Bake the meatballs in a baking pan for 15 minutes until golden and firm.
3. While the meatballs cook, trim the ends from the polenta tube and slice the tube into 12 rounds.
4. Place a large skillet over high heat and add 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Working in two batches add 6 rounds at a time and fry them in the hot oil until the polenta has a crispy skin on it- about 2 minutes on each side.
5. Serve meatballs over crispy polenta topped with warm pasta sauce and a dab of pesto.

Source: Adapted from my Chicken Parmeatballs and Heather Christo.

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