Quick Dinner: Roasted Tomato Polenta and Oven Roasted Chicken Breast

Oven Roasted Tomato Polenta and Chicken

This is a quick and easy "gourmet" dish.  From beginning to end it took about 30 minutes!  Plus it's economically since I only used two chicken breasts and half of the bunch of organic tomatoes!  I can use the rest tonight for dinner--Mexican this time I think.

Ingredients:

1 cup Instant Polenta (I used Ferraro)

1/4 cup grated Parmesan

2 Chicken breasts halfed (this is where you can save money, half them so everyone gets an adequate portion without going overboard

1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon Olive Oil

a handful of fresh basil chopped

3 garlic cloves still in skin

4 organic (or not) Compari tomatoes

dash of Italian season and salt and pepper to season chicken

1.  Preheat oven to 350.

2.  Grease baking dish with olive oil. Half chicken breasts (so now you have 4 pieces of chicken) and put them in the dish (move them around a little).  Season one side of the chicken with Italian seasonings and salt and pepper and then repeat with the other side.

3.  Cut tomatoes into three parts and place them on a cookie sheet.  Drizzle with a little olive oil and season with a little pepper.  Sprinkle your basil on top!

4.  Place both the chicken and the tomatoes in the oven.  The chicken will cook for 15 minutes and then you will flip the pieces and cook for another 15 minutes.  At the halfway point you can take out the tomatoes and place them to the side.

5.  During the first 15 minutes of cooking, pour yourself a glass of wine or tea and hang out.  Once the first 15 minutes are up and the tomatoes are out, start the polenta.

6.  Follow the directions on the box, but I warn you polenta cooks VERY fast and you need to whisk or stir to get rid of lumps.  

7.  Once your polenta has finished cooking, add your butter and cheese.  Stir until the butter melts and then add your tomatoes.  Smash your garlic to get the skins off.  (Don't worry the garlic won't be as strong as it is in raw form)  I added a basil leaf to pretty it up, but it's not necessary!  

8.  Your chicken should be done, just check to make sure it isn't pink.

9.  Serve!