Active time: 20 minutes Total time: 55 minutes
This one-pot meal features chicken breast cooked in a rich tomato and vegetable sauce, all served over creamy polenta. Mushrooms have a potential anti-inflammatory effect and might help boost your immune system and feed the healthy bacteria in your gut.
Pro tip: We use the “pot-in-pot” method — a baking dish with polenta is set on a trivet over the chicken. You’ll need a small (6–7-inch) oven-safe baking dish and a trivet with 2-inch tall legs for this recipe; find them online or at kitchenware stores.
Instant Pot Chicken Cacciatore With Polenta
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 1 red bell pepper, chopped
- 6 ounces (170g) cremini mushrooms, sliced (about 2 cups)
- 3 medium garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 1/4 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 1 cup (242g) canned low-sodium diced tomatoes with juice
- 1/3 cup (79ml) chicken broth
- 4 (8-ounce\227g) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 3/4 cup (140g) cornmeal (not quick-cooking)
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons fresh basil or parsley, chopped
- 2 tablespoons low-sodium tomato paste
Directions
Coat the inner pot of an electric pressure cooker with olive oil, select saute and adjust to high heat. Add the onions and peppers; cook until tender, 4 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook until they give off their liquid, 4 minutes. Add the garlic and Italian seasoning and cook for 30 seconds. Press the cancel button.
Add the tomatoes and broth, scraping up any browned bits from bottom of pan. Season the chicken with the pepper. Nestle the chicken in the tomato mixture in the pot in an even layer, spooning some of the sauce over the top.
Place a tall trivet with 2-inch (5cm) high legs in the pot over the chicken. In a 6–7-inch (15–18-cm) oven-safe baking dish, combine 2 2/3 cups (630ml) warm water with the salt. Gradually whisk in the polenta. Cover baking dish tightly with foil and place on top of the trivet. Lock the lid, ensure the steam valve is set to the sealing position, and press the pressure cook function and adjust to high pressure for 8 minutes.
When the cooking time is up, let the pressure naturally release for 5 minutes, and then quick release the rest. Remove the lid, blot the top of the foil with a paper towel to remove water, and carefully lift the baking dish and trivet out of the pot. Peel back the foil and stir the herbs into the polenta. Cover and set aside.
Transfer the chicken breasts to a serving plate, cover and reserve. Whisk the tomato paste into the sauce in the pot. Select sauté and adjust to high heat. Simmer, stirring frequently, until the flavors have melded, 3 minutes. Spoon sauce over the chicken and serve with polenta.
Serves: 4 | Serving Size: 1 chicken breast, 2/3 cup polenta, 3/4 cup sauce
Nutrition (per serving): Calories: 370; Total Fat: 9g; Saturated Fat: 2g; Monounsaturated Fat: 4g; Cholesterol: 124mg; Sodium: 397mg; Carbohydrate: 28g; Dietary Fiber: 4g; Sugar: 12g; Protein: 43g
