Chicken Marsala Meatballs with Baked Parmesan Polenta
Chicken Marsala Meatballs with Baked Parmesan Polenta is a fun twist on classic Chicken Marsala. It’s comforting, delicious and is sure to bring a taste of Italy to your table!
Servings: 4
Ingredients
Polenta
- Cooking spray
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup half-and-half
- 3/4 cup polenta
- 1 teaspoon salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Meatballs
- Cooking spray
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 medium onion finely chopped
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- 2 tablespoons Marsala wine
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
- 1 large egg beaten
- 1 teaspoon salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 pound ground chicken or turkey
Sauce
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 package (8-ounce) sliced Cremini (baby Portobello) mushrooms
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup dry Marsala wine
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley plus more for garnish
- salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
Polenta
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 2-quart baking dish with cooking spray.
- Combine chicken broth, half-and-half, polenta and salt and black pepper to taste in the baking dish. Stir to combine.
- Microwave uncovered on high for 3 minutes. Stir again, cover and place in the oven.
- Bake 30-35 minutes or until all the liquid is absorbed. Stir in cheese and butter. Serve with meatballs.
Meatballs
- Spray a non-stick baking sheet with cooking spray. Set aside.
- Heat oil and butter in a small sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the onion, reduce heat to medium and cook 6-7 minutes or until onion is tender. Add garlic and cook 15 seconds or until fragrant. Transfer half of the onions to a mixing bowl and take remaining onions in the pan off the heat temporarily. Let onions in bowl cool 5 minutes before adding other ingredients.
- To mixing bowl with onions, add half the parsley, 2 tablespoons marsala, milk, panko, egg, salt, black pepper and mix well. Add ground chicken and mix well again.
- Form chicken mixture into 12 large meatballs and place on prepared baking sheet. Bake 20 minutes or until a meat thermometer inserted into the center registers at least 165 degrees.
Sauce
- While meatballs are baking, add the butter to pan with remaining onion-garlic combination and bring back up to medium-high temperature. Add the mushrooms then reduce heat to medium and cook 5-6 minutes or until mushrooms are brown and tender.
- Add flour and cook 1-2 minutes, stirring often.
- Add Marsala, whisking constantly for 1 minute. Slowly add chicken broth, Worcestershire and heavy cream. Bring back to a boil then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer 5-10 minutes or until thickened.
- Transfer meatballs back to the pan and heat through. Add parsley, salt and black pepper to taste. Serve over meatballs with polenta. Garnish with additional parsley.
Notes
TIPS:
- When I make meatballs, I like to get all the ingredients except the ground meat mixed together before adding the ground meat. This ensures all the ingredients—especially the seasonings—are evenly distributed.
- I wear disposable gloves and mix with my hands to complete the job faster and more thoroughly.
- Meatballs and sauce can be made 1-2 days ahead. Bake, combine with the sauce, cool and refrigerate.
- Place in a covered oven-safe container and reheat at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until the center of each meatball is 165 degrees in the center and the sauce is bubbling.
- Meatballs and sauce can be frozen for 2-3 months. Prepare as directed, cool thoroughly, then place in an airtight container or containers as desired.
- Thaw in the refrigerator, then reheat in the oven at 350 degrees until the center of each meatball is 165 degrees.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 | Calories: 833kcal | Carbohydrates: 54g | Protein: 40g | Fat: 45g | Saturated Fat: 20g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 17g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 229mg | Sodium: 2888mg | Potassium: 1236mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 1392IU | Vitamin C: 30mg | Calcium: 499mg | Iron: 4mg