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Community Corner

Chicken Cacciatore Comfort Food, Italian Style

Chicken and vegetables simmer together to create this wonderfully satisfying dish.

"You don't want to make a steady diet of just lettuce. You don't want to make a steady diet of fried chicken." ~Paula Deen

Chicken Cacciatore is one of those dishes that is just perfect for a slow cooker. Chicken and vegetables stewing together all day-the smell is heavenly and the taste is spectacular. So when I saw that the supermarket had chicken thighs on sale I just knew I had to make it. I dug out my old recipe, purchased my ingredients and pulled the slow cooker from the pantry. Then I ran late every morning, all week long. Rats!

I did end up making the Chicken Cacciatore for dinner one night by modifying the recipe, but hopefully next time I'm going to make it I will get out of bed when the alarm goes off. The first time.

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Here are a couple of "fun facts" about Chicken Cacciatore:

CC Fun Fact No. 1: Traditional Chicken Cacciatore is not made with tomatoes-however, modern versions typically are.

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CC Fun Fact No. 2: Oct. 15 is National Chicken Cacciatore Day.

Now, on to the recipe:

Chicken Cacciatore

Ingredients:

  • 6 chicken thighs, skin removed
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • 1/4 cup flour
  • 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tbsp butter
  • 1 sm sweet onion, sliced thin
  • 1 green bell pepper, sliced thin
  • 4 cloves chopped garlic
  • 8 oz pkg of mushrooms, washed and coarsely chopped
  • 1 tsp Seasoned salt
  • 1 tbsp Italian seasoning
  • 3/4 cup white wine (I used Pinot Grigio because that is what I had-use whatever you like)
  • 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
  • Parmesan cheese
  • Cooked white rice (or pasta, if you prefer)

Instructions:

  • Preheat oven to 350.
  • Salt and pepper the chicken (both sides).
  • Dredge chicken in flour.
  • Heat olive oil and butter in a large pan on the stove over medium-high heat.
  • Place chicken in the pan and brown chicken on both sides, then transfer to a plate.
  • Add onions, peppers and garlic and cook for about a minute.
  • Add mushrooms and cook for another minute.
  • Add Italian seasoning, salt and wine.
  • Once the wine is bubbling, add tomatoes and stir.
  • Put the chicken back into the pan.
  • Put a lid on the pan and put it into the oven.
  • Cook for 45 minutes.
  • Remove lid and turn oven up to 375, then cook for 15 minutes.
  • Take the pan out of the oven.
  • Take the chicken from the pan and put on a plate.
  • Take the vegetables from the pan and put them on another plate.
  • Return pan to stove and turn heat to medium high.
  • Cook the sauce for a couple of minutes to reduce it.
  • To serve, put rice (or pasta) on a platter and spoon the vegetables over the top.
  • Place chicken on top of the vegetables.
  • Spoon juices over the chicken (to taste).
  • Top with Parmesan cheese.

(You can see why it would be so much easier to do this in a slow cooker.)

Enjoy!

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