POLENTA SQUARES WITH POMEGRANITE CHIPOTLE CHICKEN AND MANCHEGO CHEESE

POLENTA SQUARES WITH POMEGRANITE CHIPOTLE CHICKEN AND MANCHEGO CHEESE image

Categories Chicken Appetizer Bake Cocktail Party Wheat/Gluten-Free

Yield 30 squares

Number Of Ingredients 15

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Ingredients

3 cups canned low-salt chicken broth
3/4 cup yellow cornmeal
3/4 cup grated Gruyère cheese
3 tablespoons gluten free flour blend such as Old Fashioned Baking Mix from The Pure Pantry (www.thepurepantry.com)
2 tablespoons butter
Pomegranite Chipotle Chicken Topping:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/2 cups yellow onions, finely diced
1/2 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into bitesize pieces
1/4 t. sea salt
1/4 t. pepper
6 slices cooked bacon, finely chopped (can use turkey bacon or omit if desired)
2/3 cup Pomegranite Chipotle BBQ sauce (recipe below)
3 T. chopped pecans
1 T. chopped cilantro

Steps:

Butter 9 x 12 -inch-diameter glass baking dish. Bring broth to boil in heavy medium saucepan. Gradually whisk in corn meal. Reduce heat to medium and whisk constantly until mixture thickens, about 6 minutes. Remove from heat. Add cheese, baking mix and butter; stir until cheese melt. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer polenta to prepared dish; using buttered knife, spread evenly. Cool until polenta is firm, at least 1 hour. Line baking sheet with foil. Cut polenta into squares. Transfer squares, bottom side up, to prepared sheet, fitting closely together. (Can be made 1 day ahead by cutting, covering and chilling.) Preheat oven to 350 F. Bake polenta squares until golden, about 15 minutes. Cool on sheet. Next, preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Spray a 13×9 inch pan with cooking spray. Add olive oil and onions to skillet and cook over medium for 3 minutes. Add chicken and cook with onions for 4 minutes or until chicken is just-opaque. Remove from heat and stir in chopped bacon. Sprinkle 1 cup of the shredded cheese evenly over baked polenta squares; spoon chicken mixture evenly over cheese. Drizzle pomegranate chipotle sauce over cheese, then top with remaining 1 cup of cheese. Sprinkle pecans over top. Bake for 6-8 minutes or until cheese is melted and sauce is bubbly; sprinkle top with cilantro. Pomegranite Chipotle BBQ Sauce (submitted as separate entry as well) ½ cup organic tomato paste 4 T. organic balsamic vinegar 2 T. organic blackstrap molasses ½ cup organic brown sugar 2 T. organic gluten free Tamari ½ c. dark agave nectar ½ c. pomegranate juice ½ t. chipotle chile powder 1 T. cornstarch Mix all ingredients, except cornstarch, in a medium size bowl with whisk. Whisk in cornstarch. Transfer to medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat while whisking for 2-3 minutes. Turn off heat and let cool.