As you've probably guessed by now Italian is one of my favorite types of food.
I enjoy everything about it from the different types of pasta to the sauces to the different ways to prepare it. I get excited about going to new Italian restaurants and I like to try new Italian recipes. I've tried it in almost every form and I've eaten it on five different continents. I love Italian food.
Another thing about Italian food is that it's ubiquitous which is to say you can find it anywhere. If you were dropped into a little two street-light town in Oklahoma you would be able to find an Italian restaurant within twenty minutes. The most out of the way place I have eaten Italian food was at a restaurant in a little no-name town of about 200 people in the middle of nowhere Luxembourg. I believe that even the restaurant at the end of the universe is Italian..
But, up until recently, one thing about Italian food has eluded me - Chicken Cacciatore. I've heard of it and I've talked to people who've had it but I have never found a restaurant that serves it or anyone that knows how to make it.
A few months ago while looking through diet recipes online I came across chicken cacciatore and decided I would try it. Little did I know how good it would be.
As I read through the recipe I quickly realized that chicken cacciatore is a stew that is perfectly suited for the crock pot and is very easy to make. I spent a Thursday morning prepping all of the ingredients, threw everything in the crock pot, and went to work.
The aroma that greeted me at the door when I got home later was amazing.
I still didn't know what I had made but I knew I wanted some. That want was solidified when I walked into the kitchen and removed the lid from the crock pot.
So this is chicken cacciatore; this wonderful smelling and delicious looking Italian stew that was sitting there, residing in my kitchen, waiting to be devoured.
Well, that's enough babbling, let's dive into this recipe.
Chicken Cacciatore
Prep time 15 Min. Cook time 480 Min. Serves 4
Ingredients
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into bite-size pieces
1 cup fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 green pepper, sliced into thin strips
1 cup onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. canned tomato paste
14-1/2 oz. canned crushed tomatoes, fire-roasted
1/4 cup red wine, dry variety
3/4 tsp dried oregano
3/4 tsp salt, divided
1/4 tsp black pepper
Instructions
Place chicken in a crock pot. Add mushrooms, green pepper, onion, garlic, tomato paste, tomatoes and juice, wine, oregano, 1/2 teaspoon salt and black pepper.
Cover crock pot; cook on high heat for 5 to 6 hours or on low heat for 6 to 8 hours. Taste just before serving and add remaining 1/4 teaspoon of salt if necessary.
This recipe yields about 1 cup per serving.
This is a rich and hearty dinner that should please every member of your family. Try it with some fresh baked Italian bread and a salad with a light red wine vinaigrette. As always, if you try this dinner leave a comment here and let me know how it turned out.
Next week - Buffalo Chicken fingers or How Devilish of You.
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