Recipe Background
The Cozy Caprese is a classic, sunny Mediterranean flavor combination with the heartiness of a main course! Sounds amazing to us! Melty fresh mozzarella, a rich marinara sauce with fresh spinach mixed in, a sprinkling of fragrant basil, all atop a bed of golden polenta slices and tender chicken cutlets. Yum! Making the Cozy Caprese is like weaving a blanket for your taste buds... just the best way to keep the winter cold at bay!
The Cozy Caprese is a classic, sunny Mediterranean flavor combination with the heartiness of a main course! Sounds amazing to us! Melty fresh mozzarella, a rich marinara sauce with fresh spinach mixed in, a sprinkling of fragrant basil, all atop a bed of golden polenta slices and tender chicken cutlets. Yum! Making the Cozy Caprese is like weaving a blanket for your taste buds... just the best way to keep the winter cold at bay!
Ingredients
- 4 thin-cut chicken cutlets
- 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- kosher salt to taste
- 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil divided
- 1 (18-ounce) container pre-cooked polenta sliced into 1/2-inch-thick rounds
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 5 cups baby spinach packed
- 2 cups prepared marinara sauce
- 1/3 cup water
- 1 (8-ounce) package bocconcini thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves thinly sliced, packed, for topping
Directions
- Preheat the broiler to high heat.
- Season the chicken cutlets evenly with the Italian seasoning and the salt.
- In a large, straight-sided, ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat, add 2 tablespoons of the olive oil.
- Add the polenta slices in a single layer to the hot oil and cook until they are golden on the bottom, about 2 minutes.
- Using a thin, metal spatula, flip the polenta slices and cook until they are golden on the reverse side, about 2 minutes.
- Transfer the polenta to a plate.
- Reduce the stovetop heat to medium.
- In the same skillet over medium heat, add 1 tablespoon of the remaining olive oil.
- Add the chicken cutlets to the hot oil and cook, flipping the cutlets halfway through, until they are golden-brown and just cooked to an internal temperature of 165 degrees F, about 2 minutes per side.
- Transfer the chicken cutlets to the same plate as the polenta.
- In the same skillet over medium heat, add the remaining olive oil.
- Add the garlic to the hot oil and cook, while stirring frequently, until it is fragrant, about 10 seconds.
- Add the spinach to the garlic and cook, while tossing, until it is just wilted, about 1 minute.
- Add the marinara and the water to the spinach mixture and stir to combine.
- Transfer the skillet from the heat.
- Add the chicken cutlets and the polenta to the sauce mixture, making sure they are partially submerged in the sauce.
- Top the chicken mixture evenly with the bocconcini.
- Broil until the cheese is melted, about 3 minutes.
- Allow the caprese bake to cool for 10 minutes.
- Serve topped with the basil.
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