Polenta Pot Pie

I'm a sucker for a good ol' Chicken Pot Pie. There's nothing like breaking into that flaky, buttery pastry crust, allowing the steam to escape, and breathing in the wonderful smells of the chicken, veggies, and that creamy, yummy sauce. To me, the Chicken Pot Pie is comfort food perfection. However, I don't make it all that often because although delicious, my beloved Chicken Pot Pie isn't too good for me. (Darn you buttery, flaky pastry crust!)

The other day I was watching Food Network and 30-Minute Meals came on. I don't mind Rachael Ray, so I watched as she began to describe her meal for that show. Lo and behold, it was a Chicken Pot Pie. Be still my beating heart. Alright Rach, you've got my attention. This particular version included your basic chicken, carrots, celery, onion, & peas, but instead of that pastry crust, she used polenta (grits) mixed with cheese. Yeah, there's some cheese in this. Yeah, there's a little butter and some cream. But compared to a recipe by say, Paula Deen, this one can't be all that bad. The finished product looked pretty good. So good, in fact, that I decided to make it for dinner last night. I thought it was great, too good to be kept under wraps, so I'm sharing it with you. I did tweak the recipe a little, so I'll also include the link to Rach's version.

Polenta Pot Pies
Serves 4
2 T Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 1/2 lb. chicken breast, chopped into small pieces (you could use rotisserie chicken too I'm sure)
2 carrots, chopped
1 onion, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
1-2 cloves garlic, chopped
Salt & Pepper
3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 c cream, or milk, or a combination of both
1/2 c. quick-cooking polenta, plus more if needed
2 T butter
2 T flour
6 sprigs of fresh thyme, leaves stripped from the stalks
1 c frozen peas
1 c grated smoked Gouda cheese

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over med-high heat. Add the chicken and season with salt & pepper. Cook the chicken and then add in carrots, onion, celery, & garlic. Cook about 10-12 minutes until veggies are tender.

Preheat your broiler, but make sure the rack is more towards the middle.

Bring 1 c chicken broth and 1/2 cup of milk or cream to a boil in a pot and whisk in the polenta. It should thicken in about 3 minutes. You may need to add more polenta or more liquid, depending on how much topping you want. I added a bit more of both. Now whisk in the Gouda cheese and set this aside.

Move the meat & veggies to the side of the skillet and melt the butter in the empty space. When the butter is melted, sprinkle in the flour and stir to remove any clumps. Let this flour/butter mixture cook for a minute and then add 2 cups of chicken broth. Stir to dissolve the flour & butter. Now add 1/2 c cream or milk and bring to a bubble. The sauce should be somewhat thick, so if it isn't to your taste, you can add more flour (1 T at a time) until its as thick as you like. Stir in thyme, peas, and adjust salt & pepper. Transfer to a casserole dish and put on a baking sheet. Cover with the cheesy polenta and spread so the polenta covers the dish. (Like the crust, get it?) Broil the dish for 2-3 minutes, or until polenta is lightly golden. YUM!