Chicken Cacciatore

My mom has made this dish for years.  I’m not really sure what we called it, but one day I ran across a similar recipe in a magazine,  I’ve called it Chicken Cacciatore ever since.  Sounds much fancier than yummy tomato chicken. What I love about this recipe is it can be made on the stove top or if I’m pressed for time and need to have dinner done ahead, I use my crock pot on low to finish cooking it. Cooking Chicken Cacciatore in the crock pot  is my preferred method, but I’ll give it to you both ways in the print out below.

Pure comfort food.

Do you have a favorite recipe that is versatile for crockpot or stove top?

It may seem like alot of steps, don’t let that sker ya!  Chicken Cacciatore  comes together quickly, and it’s so worth it!  Your family and friends will think you da bomb diggity!

Start with 8 pieces of bone in chicken.  I like to buy a whole chicken and cut it up myself.  If you’ve never cut up a whole chicken and want to learn how it’s really easy.  Here’s a great video you can watch to learn how.  Salt and pepper the chicken pieces.  Then mix 1/2 cup flour with 1/2 teaspoon seasoning salt, dredge chicken in flour.  Then over medium heat melt butter and olive oil in a dutch oven or large skillet, When oil and butter are sizzling add in chicken skin side down. Pan fry over medium heat for 5 minutes, flip chicken cook for an additional 3-5 minutes.

Remove chicken to plate.

Secret weapon….sugar just a dab ul do ya.  Sprinkle one teaspoon of sugar over the sauce.  Stir. Let simmer for a few minutes.

Now if you want to cook this on your stove, return the chicken to the pan, snuggle it down into the sauce, cover, and turn the heat down low.  Cook for one hour.

Crock Pot version is as follows:

 Snuggle chicken down into crock pot.

Pour sauce over the chicken in pot.  Turn on High for 2 hours, or if you need more time turn on low for 3-4 hours.

Cover, and let it do it’s thang.  Just make sure your cover is covering your Chicken Cacciatore, unlike mine that is all kitty-wampus on the  crockpot.  I must have been in a hurry or something….imagine that!

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Chicken Cacciatore
serves 6-8
8 pieces bone in Chicken
Salt & Pepper
1/2 cup Flour
1/2 teaspoon Seasoning Salt (I use Morton’s Nature Seasoning)
4 tablespoons Butter
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 medium Sweet Onion, chopped
8 ounce White Button Mushrooms, sliced
2 cloves Garlic, minced
1/2 cup White Wine
1 1lb 12 ounce can Whole Tomatoes
1 14 ounce can Tomato Sauce
1 Bay Leaf or two small leaves
1 teaspoons dried Thyme
2 teaspoons dried Basil
1 teaspoon Sugar
1 pound Spaghetti, cooked
shaved Parmesan cheese, for garnish

1. Season chicken pieces with salt and pepper.
2. Mix flour and season salt together, melt butter and olive oil in 8 quart dutch oven, dredge chicken pieces in flour. When oil and butter are sizzling add in chicken skin side down. Pan fry over medium heat for 5 minutes, flip chicken cook for an additional 3-5 minutes. Remove chicken to platter.
3. Add onions to pan, add dash of salt and pepper. Saute for 3 minutes.
4. Add garlic and mushrooms to sauteed onion, sautee for another 3-5 minutes over medium low heat.
5. Pour wine over onions and mushrooms, using a spatula scrape any goodies from bottom of pan. Let reduce for a few minutes. Add bay leaf, thyme, and basil, stir.
6. Pour tomato sauce and whole tomatoes in pan, with spatula try to break up tomatoes. Sprinkle with sugar, and stir.
7. Add chicken back into pan. Nestle chicken down into sauce, cover, turn heat down low, and cook for 1 hour on top of stove.
8. Cook spaghetti al dente, serve chicken cacciatore over spaghetti. Garnish with shaved Parmesan cheese.

Crock Pot: Follow steps as above, except after removing chicken from browning place it in bottom of crock pot.  Don’t be afraid to let the pieces get all cozy in the pot.  Continue with steps 3-6, pour sauce over chicken in crock pot, cover, and cook for 3-4 hours on low or on high for 2.

Enjoy!

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Chicken Cacciatore is the perfect meal to cook for a dinner party.  It can be all done ahead!  Fix a nice green salad, a crusty loaf, a Killer Toffee Almond Brownies for dessert.  So simple, delicious, and comforting.

Enjoy!

Luvya, Sheila