Tarragon Cream Polenta Pot Pies

A couple of weeks ago I made this for a lunch group I attend. I thought it was quite tasty. I didn't make up the recipe, it's from Rachel Ray.

Ingredients
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 pounds chicken tenders, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
1 onion, chopped
2 ribs celery with the greens, chopped
Salt
Freshly ground pepper
3 cups chicken stock, divided
1 cup cream, divided
1/2 cup quick cooking polenta, plus more, if needed*
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
6 sprigs fresh tarragon, stripped and chopped, 3 to 4 tablespoons
1 cup frozen peas
1 cup Gruyere cheese, grated

In a deep skillet heat 2 turns of the pan extra-virgin olive oil over medium-high heat. Add chicken and lightly brown, 3 minutes, add carrots, onions, and celery as you chop. Season with salt and pepper and cook 10 to 12 minutes to soften.
Preheat broiler. Set rack in middle of oven.
Bring 1 cup chicken stock and 1/2 cup cream to a boil, stir in polenta and whisk, 3 minutes. Turn heat low, stir in Gruyere cheese and reserve.
Scoot meat and veggies off to side, melt butter and combine with flour 1 minute. Whisk in 2 cups stock and combine, stir in 1/2 cup cream and bring to a bubble. Stir in Dijon, tarragon, peas and adjust salt and pepper and transfer to soup bowls. Set soup bowls on baking dish. Form tops to your pot pies with the polenta and cheese mixture. Set under broiler and brown 2 to 3 minutes

My little spin on things

* I used only 1 tablespoon of olive oil and 1 tablespoon of butter

* I used cream, but will probably use milk in the future or at least half milk half cream

* I used low sodium chicken broth instead of chicken stock and I substituted Pepper Jack in place of the Gruyere cheese. You could use any kind of cheese. Although sometimes I like to splurge I couldn't bring myself to buy Gruyere cheese because it costs $15-$20 a pound.

*To make the polenta I put the 1 cup chicken broth, ½ cup cream, and ½ cup yellow corn meal in a microwave safe bowl and cooked it in two minute increments, stirring in between, until the polenta thickened. Then I ended up adding some more chicken broth to get the polenta the consistency I wanted.

*I served the pies in ramekins

* I think I only used two tablespoons of tarragon.