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Creamy Garlic Corn Chicken with Cheesy Polenta. A delicious bowl of late summer comfort food. Chicken and corn cooked in butter with spices and garlic, then finished with cream to create a creamy, spicy sauce. Simple quick cooking polenta that’s perfectly buttery and swirled with sweet gouda cheese. Together you’ve got a flavorful and delicious meal that’s made quick and suitable for any night of the week.
Really working from the mobile office this week! I’m currently in the Chicago airport and when you read this, I will be in New York, but heading home to Colorado today! I love traveling, but I love heading home too. Although I think I could have stayed another day in New York, I love it here!
Hoping the weather is starting to clear up a bit at home. When I left we were still having a lot of heavy afternoon storms. I’m ready for those late summer sunny days!
With it already being mid-August, corn is very plentiful. So, as I hinted on Monday, I have plenty of new recipes coming with this end-of-summer produce!
And I love this recipe. Funny enough this recipe idea came from a seafood dish I made recently with polenta. I haven’t been using polenta as much lately, but that recipe brought it back into rotation.
We love polenta. But while I love the polenta used in this recipe, it’s more about the chicken, corn, and creamy sauce!
Here are the details
The polenta needs a little more time cook, so we’ll start here!
You need lots of butter and quick-cooking polenta. Regular polenta works too, but quick-cooking is well, quicker!
Start by warming the milk until it is steaming, then whisk in the polenta. The key with polenta is to stir it for five minutes until it gets creamy, then cover. With this dish, before you cover I like to add cheese and butter. Creamy, sweet gouda is my favorite cheese here, but parmesan or a sharp cheddar would be nice too.
Now cover the polenta and let it finish cooking while you start on the chicken and corn.
For the chicken, I like it to be a little on the crispy side. To achieve this, I toss it with cornstarch before cooking, then pan-sear the chicken in butter with cajun seasonings until browned. I love to make my own homemade cajun spice mix, but if you’re in a pinch, store-bought works too.
When the chicken has browned, add the corn, garlic, and fresh thyme. Then stir in the cream and let the sauce warm through. Add a little lemon zest and basil to finish. It takes maybe five or ten minutes from start to finish – tops.
Simple, but so much flavor from all the spices, garlic, and lemony butter pan sauce.
Finish it up
I plate the polenta first, usually in a low pasta bowl. Then spoon the chicken, corn, and sauce over the polenta. Since we have so many fresh herbs right now, I top the bowl with plenty of fresh basil. Then serve with crusty bread and a big arugula salad from the garden.
So quick and simple – so delicious.
As I mentioned earlier, the chicken is the main flavor here, but the polenta completes it. It rounds out the meal and adds another layer of comfort to the dish. I think you’ll all love it!
Looking for other summer recipes? Here are a few ideas:
Lemon Butter Chicken Piccata with Pesto Polenta
Garlic Parmesan Herb Butter Polenta Fries with Lemon Aioli
Zucchini Carbonara with Crispy Prosciutto and Burrata
Lastly, if you make this Creamy Garlic Corn Chicken with Cheesy Polenta, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Creamy Garlic Corn Chicken with Cheesy Polenta
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 610 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
Polenta
- 2 cups milk
- 1 cup dry polenta
- 1/2 cup gouda cheese, or grated parmesan
- 2 tablespoons salted butter
- kosher salt and black pepper
Chicken
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 4 tablespoons salted butter
- 1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon, plus 2 teaspoons cajun seasoning
- 3 cloves garlic, chopped
- 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
- 2 cups raw corn kernels
- 1/2 cup heavy cream or canned coconut milk
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest
- 1/2 cup fresh basil, roughly chopped
Instructions
- 1. To make the polenta. In a medium pot, add 2 cups water and the milk. Bring to a low boil, then whisk in the polenta, stirring until the polenta is soft and thick, about 3-5 minutes. Stir in the parmesan, butter, and season with salt and pepper. Turn the heat off, cover the pot, and let the polenta sit 5 minutes.2. Meanwhile, make the chicken. Toss the chicken with the cornstarch. 3. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the butter, chicken, 1 tablespoon cajun seasoning, and a big pinch of pepper. Cook 5-minutes, until browned. Stir in the corn, garlic, and thyme and continue to cook until the garlic is fragrant. 4. Pour in the cream and stir in 2 teaspoons cajun seasoning. Cook 1-2 minutes to warm through, adding water or additional cream to thin the sauce. Remove from the heat, stir in the lemon zest and basil.5. Spoon the polenta into bowls, then spoon the chicken and creamy corn sauce over the polenta. Eat and enjoy!
Notes
Homemade Cajun Seasoning: mix 2 1/2 tablespoons smoked paprika, 2 tablespoons garlic powder, 1 tablespoon onion powder, 1 tablespoon dried oregano, 1 tablespoon dried thyme, 1 tablespoon chili powder, 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper, 1 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt, and 1 tablespoon black pepper. Makes 3/4 cup.
Hiya! Just wondering what you would recommend using for people that aren’t a big fan of polenta? I thought mashed potato but fear that it might make the dish too heavy..
Thank you!
Hi Anjonette,
I think mashed potatoes would work well with this recipe, you could also do smashed potatoes like this recipe:
https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/smashed-potatoes/
I hope this helps! xx
We have also used orzo with the gouda or parmesan mixed in as polenta replacements
I made this but substituted whole milk for some of the cream as well as substituting shrimp for chicken. This was awesome!!!!
Thank you so much for trying out the recipe! xT
Wow! The flavor is amazing and the epitome of comfort food!
Thank you!!
Hi Tieghan! I can’t wait to make this but I am having a hard time finding anything but the pre-cooked tube of polenta at my local grocery store so I am going to order some dry polenta online. What brand do you recommend? Thanks!
Hey Tammie,
You could try using the tube polenta and just use the cooking instructions:) Otherwise, Bob’s Red Mill is a great option! Please let me know if you have any other questions! xT
Hey, Tieghan! Thanks for the recommendation. I made this for dinner tonight and my boyfriend and I both loved it. This one is going in our recipe binder and will be made again soon just like so many other of your recipes we’ve tried over the last few months. Thanks for keeping our mouths watering and our stomachs full with delicious meals that are easy to cook.
Hey Tammie,
Happy Sunday!! I love to hear that this recipe was a hit, thanks a lot for making it and your review!! Thanks for your kind message:) 🍓🫐🍉