Chicken Cacciatoremy Way Recipes

SLOW COOKER CHICKEN CACCIATORE

Steps:

• Lightly coat a large slow cooker with nonstick spray. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium high. Season both sides of the chicken with salt and pepper. Once the oil is hot and shimmering, add the chicken in a single layer. Cook on the first side for 3 to 4 minutes, until browned, moving the chicken as little as possible so that it gets a nice sear. Flip and brown on the other side, about 2 additional minutes. Transfer the chicken to the slow cooker.
• Reduce the skillet heat to medium. With a paper towel, carefully wipe out the skillet. Add the remaining 2 teaspoons olive oil. One the oil is hot, add the onion and cook until beginning to soften, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar. Cook for 1 minute, or until the garlic is fragrant and the vinegar has reduced. Transfer to the slow cooker, along with any pan drippings.
• Top the chicken with the tomatoes, green bell pepper, mushrooms, and Italian seasoning. If using chicken breasts: cover and cook on HIGH for 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 hours or LOW for 4 to 5 hours, until the chicken is cooked through. If using chicken thighs: cover and cook for 3 to 4 hours on HIGH or 5 to 6 hours on LOW. Remove the chicken from the slow cooker as soon as it reaches 165 degrees F. If desired, chop or shred the chicken (or you can serve the pieces whole).
• At this point, you can serve the sauce right away if you are in a hurry, BUT, if time allows, this is what I like to do for the best-ever sauce: Uncover the slow cooker and let cook on HIGH for 1 hour to allow the sauce to thicken and the flavor to further develop. Just before serving, stir in the remaining 1/2 teaspoon balsamic vinegar. Taste and season the sauce with additional salt/pepper as desired. If you've chopped or shredded the chicken, return it to the sauce and toss to combine and warm through. Otherwise, serve the chicken pieces whole with a generous amount of the sauce on top. Serve hot over pasta, rice, polenta, or veggie noodles, with a big extra spoonful of sauce and a sprinkle of parsley and Parmesan.

MY MOM'S CHICKEN CACCIATORE

Steps:

• Place the chicken legs into a large, heavy plastic bag, and add the flour. Close the bag and shake to coat all the chicken pieces with flour. Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven, and brown the chicken leg quarters, working in batches if necessary, about 5 minutes per side.
• Whisk together the tomato paste with white wine in a bowl, adding the wine gradually until the tomato paste and wine are well combined. Whisk in the chicken broth, brandy, salt, white pepper, thyme, and marjoram, and pour the mixture over the browned chicken legs. Mix in the sliced mushrooms. Bring the cacciatore to a boil over medium heat.
• Reduce heat to a simmer, and cook until the chicken is tender and no longer pink at the bone and the sauce has thickened, about 1 hour.

QUICK CACCIATORE

Steps:

• Mix pasta sauce, peppers, onions and mushrooms in large skillet; cover. Cook on medium heat 10 min., stirring occasionally.
• Add chicken; cook, covered, 5 min. or until heated through, stirring occasionally.
• Spoon over hot pasta; sprinkle with the cheese.

CHICKEN CACCIATORE,MY WAY

Steps:

• Rinse chicken and pat dry. Season the chicken pieces on all sides with salt,pepper & garlic powder. Heat olive oil in a large skillet on medium heat. Work in batches so pan isn't crowded, place the chicken pieces skin side down in the pan. Cook until browned, about 5 minutes, then turn over and lightly brown the other side. Remove chicken to a platter, set aside. Drain off all but 2 tablespoons of the rendered fat. If you have less than 2 T. of fat in the pan, add more olive oil until you have 2 T.
• Add the sliced onions, bell peppers, and mushrooms to the pan. Increase the heat to medium high. Cook until the onions are translucent, and the mushrooms are dry, stirring frequently, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic cook a minute more.
• Add the wine and broth,scrape up any browned bits at the bottom of the pan. Simmer until the wine is reduced by half. Add the tomatoes. Stir in salt and pepper to taste and the spices. Taste & adjust seasonings. Simmer uncovered for 5 minutes. Place the chicken on top of the tomatoes and onions, skin side up. Lower the heat and cover the skillet with the lid slightly ajar.
• Cook the chicken on a low simmer, turning and basting from time to time. Cook until the thighs are tender, about 40 minutes.

CHICKEN CACCIATORE / MY WAY

Steps:

• 1. Prepare all veggies. Preheat oven to 350 degree F.
• 2. In a 5 - 6 quart dutch oven, melt butter into the olive oil, over medium heat. While that's heating, season chicken pieces on both sides. Pat each side in flour. Brown each side, 4 - 5 pieces at a time until golden. Place on a plate and continue browning the remaining chicken. Set aside.
• 3. In the oil left in pot from chicken, add peppers, onion, carrots, garlic, celery...stir and cook for a few minutes.
• 4. Then, add mushrooms;continue cooking another minute or two.
• 5. Add the tumeric, thyme, oregano, hot pepper flakes, bay leaf...more salt and pepper. Stir.
• 6. Add the wine, stir and cook until bubbling. Continue for a few minutes.
• 7. Stir in the crushed and plum tomatoes. Add sugar if using...I use it to mellow out the tartness and acid of the tomato products.
• 8. Now, place the chicken on top. Place lid on pot and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour. When through, re season if need be.
• 9. Remove the lid, and continue baking another 15 - 20 minutes. You can now - either take the chicken out and place on a plate, and cook the sauce down to thicken up on the stove top, if you like a thicker sauce. I then place the pasta or rice on each plate..add a thigh or two...then a ladle of veggie sauce over top, with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese.
• 10. Enjoy!

CHICKEN CACCIATORE (MY WAY, WITH BEER)

Steps:

• HEAT ABOUT 2 TABLESPOONS OF EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL IN A PAN OVER MEDIUM HEAT. IN A SHALLOW BOWL OR PLATE, COMBINE FLOUR, PEPPER, SALT AND GARLIC POWDER. THPROUGHLY WASH AND CLEAN CHICKEN LEGS, PAT DRY WITH PAPER TOWELS AND COAT WITH FLOUR MIXTURE (DON'T SKIP THIS STEP, THE FLOUR WILL THICKEN THE SAUCE AS THE CHICKEN SIMMERS IN THE TOMATOES). PAN-FRY TO SEAR THE CHICKEN LEGS, TURNING ONCE TO BROWN THE OTHER SIDE.
• TAKE SEARED CHICKEN LEGS OUT OF THE PAN, SET ASIDE. IN THE SAME PAN, ADD A LITTLE MORE OLIVE OIL AND SAUTE THE GARLIC, THEN THE ONION AND TOMATOES, COOK UNTIL THE WATER FROM THE TOMATOES DRIES OUT AND THE TOMATOES ARE TENDER; THEN ADD A LITTLE OF THE CHICKEN STOCK AND THE TOMATO PASTE, STIR UNTIL THE PASTE IS WELL-BLENDED. ADD THE REST OF THE CHICKEN STOCK AND BEER.
• SEASON WITH FISH SAUCE, IF USING AND PEPPER, STIR TO BLEND WELL, ADD 1/4 TEASPOON OF GROUND DRIED OREGANO AND 1/4 TEASPOON OF DRIED BASIL, (RUB IT BETWEEN YOUR PALMS TO RELEASE THE OIL). BOIL; LOWER HEAT AND LET SIMMER FOR ABOUT 10-15 MINUTES, COVERED.
• ADD THE CHICKEN PIECES AND BRAISE FOR ABOUT AN HOUR OR UNTIL THE CHICKEN LEGS ARE VERY,VERY TENDER AND MOST OF THE SAUCE HAS EVAPORATED. YOU MAY NEED TO ADD SOME WATER IF THE LIQUID DRIES BEFORE COOKING TIME IS FINISHED, YOU MAY WANT TO LOWER YOUR HEAT TO PREVENT IT FROM HAPPENING AGAIN. GIVE IT AN OCCASIONAL STIR AND TURN THE CHICKEN PIECES HALFWAY, HAVE A TASTE AND ADJUST SEASONING IF NEEDED.
• THAT'S IT. SERVE HOT WITH PASTA OR STEAMED RICE
• NOTE: PREPARE THIS DISH 1 1/2 -2 HOURS AHEAD OF MEAL TIME OR YOUR FAMILY WILL GET HUNGRY WAITING.