Really Into Salad-From-a-Bag

When the baby drops the second nap, as Olivia did at ten-and-a-half months, when does one cook dinner? These days, if it isn’t a sheet pan meal or from at least partially frozen beginnings, then I don’t really have time for it. Suddenly, I’m really into salad-from-a-bag: dump contents into bowl, toss with the packets of dressing and shredded cheese that also fell from said bag. Delicious!  I’m trying to research which slow cooker and/or instant pot to request from Santa. The alternative is a complicated juggling act, starting seconds after Jeff finishes his paid, full-time job, where we switch back and forth between the baby and the stovetop, and are actually present for none of it.

The great news is I don’t miss cooking. Watching Olivia mimic our every motion is infinitely more thrilling than trying a new recipe. Her latest thing, after watching Jeff moisturize once, is to rub her arms as if applying lotion. Hey Olivia, can you do lotion? [Cue adorable baby caressing her own arms and smiling like she knows how cute she is.]

So this is a pretty good one-pan chicken dish. I love a polenta tube. I love spice blends. I love produce that requires no chopping.

CHICKEN WITH POLENTA AND CHERRY TOMATOES, inspired by Katie Lee Biegel

You’ll need:
1 tube of polenta
2-3 chicken breasts
1 pint cherry tomatoes
Parmesan
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
Italian seasoning

I’m keeping this informal because I don’t think this recipe needs to be as precise as Katie wrote it.

Heat oven to 400 and spray the bottom of a baking dish. Cut the polenta into 1/2-inch thick slices and lay them across the bottom of the baking dish. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil. Add the chicken atop the polenta. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, and shredded parmesan. Arrange the tomatoes around the chicken. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add a healthy drizzle of olive oil over everything.

Bake for about 30-40 minutes, until internal temperature of the chicken measures 165.