Chicken Cacciatore

So apparently it's Dad Week on Our Best Bites! I actually had another recipe planned for today, but I feel like I'm still working out the kinks on that one. As it stands, that's one's a little mustardy. So yeah, I was at a loss for what I'd post today and then I remembered that I've had this recipe hanging out on my computer for months now. Today's the day.

I've mentioned my dad before when talking about foods that I grew up loving. He actually didn't cook all that often, but when he did it was always a deliciously big deal, usually involving the Dutch oven. Pretty much all of my happy food memories from my childhood come from my dad--Dutch oven cinnamon rolls, omelets, chicken cacciatore, oatmeal on cold winter mornings. For some reason, his are the only scrambled eggs I can eat.

Chicken cacciatore is one of my earliest food memories (that and pimiento cheese spread; chicken cacciatore is a lot better!). I must've been younger than 6 because I remember eating it in our house before it was remodeled when I was in Kindergarten. That first time, it was actually Pheasant Cacciatore because I also remember my brother chasing me around the house with a severed pheasant foot, pulling on the tendon to make the claw move. Really, it's a miracle I'm not scarred for life.

As I got older, I ate it less and less frequently and kind of forgot about it until after my husband and I got married. I discovered an old recipe and tried it out for him one night and he agreed--it was one of the best things he'd ever eaten. After some considerable tweaking on my part, I got the recipe just the way I wanted it (read: easier!) and now you get to have it. Just leave the severed poultry feet alone. Serve this for the family, serve it for company, serve it for a fancy or romantic meal--this is the little black dress of the pasta world, loved by everyone who's tried it. I even caught someone licking the plate once. Seriously. Don't worry, whomever you are...you're secret's safe with me!

Start by chopping onion and garlic and sauteing in olive oil

Remove that mixture and place it in your blender. 

Place some flour and salt and pepper in a zip-lock bag and toss it with cubed chicken.  Add chicken to pan and cook until golden.

Remove from pan and set on a papertowel.


Add chicken broth, wine, tomato paste, thyme, and marjoram to the onions and garlic in the blender and blend it until smooth.

Place chicken in a slow-cooker and pour that yummy sauce right over it.  Pop in a bay leaf on top and cook for a few hours.  When you have about 1/2 hour to go, add the mushrooms and the chopped green pepper. When it's all done serve over your favorite pasta with a little parmesan and fresh herbs if you feel like it.  (And doesn't feel like cheese??)

 Yummy yummy yummy yummy yummy. I could drink it.

Chicken Cacciatore

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1 lb. chicken breasts or chicken breasts and thighs, trimmed of fat and cut into bite-sized pieces

1/4 c. white flour

1 tsp. Kosher salt

1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

1/2 c. olive oil

1 onion, roughly chopped

5-6 cloves garlic, peeled and either crushed or halved

1 6-oz. can tomato paste

1 c. white wine, white cooking wine, or apple or white grape juice. I'll be honest with y'all, it tastes a whole lot better with wine. Just sayin'.

1 1/2 c. chicken broth

1/4 tsp. thyme

1/4 tsp. marjoram

1/2 tsp. salt (omit if using cooking wine; you may shrivel up and die if you add the salt in addition to cooking wine because cooking wine is treated with salt to make it undrinkable)

1 bay leaf

1 c. sliced mushrooms (or more if you love them. Mushrooms are divine in this dish!)

1 green bell pepper, chopped

Heat olive oil in skillet over medium heat. When oil is hot, add onions and garlic and stir frequently until onions are tender and garlic is fragrant. Remove with a slotted spoon (this is why you need to keep the onion and garlic pieces big), shake off excess oil (you don't have to go crazy here, a little olive oil never killed anyone!), and transfer to your blender. Increase heat to medium-high.

In a large Ziploc bag, combine flour, 1 tsp. salt, and 1 tsp. black pepper. Add chicken pieces, seal bag, and shake to coat pieces with flour. Dump the entire bag into the hot pan and stir quickly to prevent pieces from sticking together. Saute until chicken is golden. Remove chicken with slotted spoon and drain on a paper towel. Turn off the heat under the oil, lest you start a grease fire. I am NOT speaking from ANY kind of firsthand experience here... ;)

While chicken is draining, add wine, chicken broth, tomato paste, thyme, and marjoram to the onions and garlic in the blender. Blend until smooth. Place chicken and bay leaf in your slow cooker and then pour the sauce over the chicken. Place lid on slow cooker and cook on high for 3.5-4 hours. When you have about 1/2 hour to go, add the mushrooms and the chopped green pepper. Cook until mushrooms and pepper are tender. Remove bay leaf and serve over pasta.

FREEZER MEAL INSTRUCTIONS:

Complete steps through browning the chicken. Instead of placing chicken in your slow cooker, place it in a freezer-safe container and cover with sauce. When ready to eat, place frozen mixture in your slow cooker and cook on high for 4-5 hours. You can either cut the mushrooms and peppers ahead of time and freeze them separately from the chicken and sauce or you can just plan to have those in your fridge when you're ready to make this.

So...question of the day! What's your little black dress meal??