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Chicken Cacciatore [UPDATED]
Published 8:52am Wednesday, November 2, 2011 Updated 3:37pm Thursday, November 3, 2011
I’m a comfort food kind of gal, but not so much a meat and potatoes kind of gal. Some of my favorite comfort foods are Italian, Mexican, Greek…lots of flavors! And I always seem to come back to the Chicken Cacciatore my mother used to make. Back then, I think my mom was trying to break my sister, brother and myself of the usual spaghetti, and thought that this might be the trick. To be honest, I’m not so sure it worked when I was a teenager; but now I fall back to this recipe for an easy, different taste of Italian cooking. My oldest daughter likes it; the teenager…not so much. But I’m hoping that in 20-30 years they will both serve it to their kids!
Chicken Cacciatore
Serves 4
Ingredients –
1 to 2 pounds chicken pieces (I used thighs; but you can use breasts, legs or the whole chicken)
1 medium onion, chopped in ½ inch chunks
1 green pepper, chopped in ½ inch chunks
1 8 oz package mushrooms, sliced
1 small can tomato paste
1 16 oz can diced tomatoes (or 4-5 large fresh tomatoes diced)
3/4 cup white wine
2 Tbls olive oil
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1 tsp basil
1 bay leaf
Salt and pepper to taste; a dash of red pepper flakes heats it up a bit (optional)
Directions:
Heat oil in large skillet. Add garlic and chicken pieces. Brown for 5-7 minutes; flip chicken and brown 5-7 minutes on the other side. Stir together tomato paste and wine. Add to the skillet. Add in all the other ingredients; cover and let simmer for 30 minutes, or until the chicken pieces are cooked through. Remove the bay leaf and serve with hot noodles, rice or even mashed potatoes.
