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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:Â 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.Â
I didn’t realize my corn wasn’t very plump before I started, but the recipe was still stellar despite my ingredient quality. I added zucchini with the corn, and lemon juice at the end – Mmm! And maybe my spices aren’t as pungent, but I always end up doubling the amount of homemade Cajun seasoning specifically in HBH recipes. That’s probably an issue on my end, but anyone else saying the flavor’s flat, try adding some more! Thanks Teighan, I was excited to try this all week!
Hey Miranda,
Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try and sharing your feedback! I love to hear that it was enjoyed! Hope you’re having a great day! xx
Your polenta instructions are a bit off…the ingredients don’t specify water but in the instructions, you state to add milk and water?
Hi Melanie,
Water is not considered an ingredient, you will want to follow the recipe as written with 2 cups of milk and 2 cups of water. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Wow! I made this last night (I served it over whipped golden potatoes instead of polenta) and it was a BIG hit! Got thumbs up and kudos from my 4 grown kids. Will def make this again! Thank you as always 🙂
Hey Eileen,
Amazing!! I love to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks a bunch for trying it out:)
Followed recipe exactly and agree with Sierra the instructions are confusing.
The polenta turned out creamy and lovely. The creamy corn was nice too. We all enjoyed but agreed the flavor was flat.
The corn on corn was a bit much. Probably won’t make again.
Hi Rebecca,
Thanks for giving the recipe a try and sharing your feedback. Please let me know if there is anything I can help with! xx
I made this tonight for some friends and it was a big hit! The flavors were so delicious and the cheesy polenta was the best! Thanks for always spicing up our kitchen!!
Hey Bonnie,
Happy Wednesday! I love to hear that you enjoyed this recipe, thanks so much for making it! xx
This was excellent! Great use of fresh summer corn and basil. Six thumbs up from our family of 3. Thank you!
Hey Holly,
Happy Wednesday! I really appreciate you taking the time to make this recipe, I love to hear that it was a hit! xT
I’m confused on the instructions for the polenta. In the details you said to warm milk (2 cups) then add polenta. In the step by step ingredients you say to add 2 cups water and then the milk? (4 cups). Is that a typo?
Hi Sierra,
No typo, you can follow the recipe as written:) Please let me know if you have any other questions! xx
I used thighs instead of breasts because that’s what my family prefers — it was excellent!!
Hi Lisa,
Amazing!! So glad to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks a bunch for trying it out! xx
So dang delish – I’m the rockstar in this family for making this – thanks, Tieghan!! Might even add some shrimp next time (to go with the lemon ?)
Hey Lynn,
Awe, love to hear this! Thanks so much for trying this recipe and sharing with your family!! xTieghan
Shrimp would be amazing!!
I’m getting ready to put this all together. The cooking instructions on the dry polenta say that it cooks for 25-30 minutes. Your instructions say 3-5 minutes. I want to get the timing right. Any thoughts?
Hi Marica,
You can follow the recipe as written or follow the box instructions for your polenta, whichever you feel more comfortable doing. I hope you love the recipe! xx
I just made Creamy Garlic Corn Chicken with Cheesy Polenta – it was great! my family wants it in the rotation. Served with a bright fresh salad or brocolli would have been good too – as it is rich. Thanks for making me look and taste like a true cook 🙂
Hey Shelley,
LOL so glad you all enjoyed this recipe, thanks so much for making it:) Hope you’re off to a great day! xTieghan
I am not a fan of polenta or grits…..any suggestions on what else would be good with this,chicken. Pasta maybe? Thanks, love your recipes!
Hey Lynn,
Sure, you could do pasta or rice or even mashed potatoes, any of those would be great:) I hope you love the recipe! xTieghan
Made this recipe for dinner tonight. It’s a keeper, delicious!! My husband made a point to tell me I had to keep this recipe 🙂
Hi Lani,
Happy Tuesday! Thanks a bunch for trying this recipe, I love to hear that it was a hit! xT
I just made this for dinner! It was delicious, super easy and quick! Next time I make it I plan to use shrimp! Also had to use grits instead of polenta and added shredded white cheddar instead of Gouda! Love your recipes!
Hi Catherine,
Fantastic! Thanks so much for making this dish and sharing your review, I am so glad it was enjoyed! xx
Fantastic as always. Buttery, creamy & smooth with a crispy sweet crunch of corn. The basil and lemon zest are inspired touches, integral to the final dish. Made start to finish in less than half an hour.
Hi Virginia,
Wonderful! So glad to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks so much for making it! Happy Tuesday! xx