So what’s for dinner at your house this week? If you are drawing a blank, I suggest you try the classic Italian comfort food dish, Chicken Cacciatore. A snap to prepare when you make the entire dish in your slow cooker. Whether your weeknight dinner menus could benefit from a jolt of inspiration or you need a WOW dish for a special company meal, this rustic one pot dinner fits the bill perfectly.
View my collection of crockpot recipes HERE.
And this dish is quite versatile as it’s equally wonderful made with chicken parts or boneless chicken breasts. Delicious served over pasta, spaghetti squash or sautéed greens such as chard, spinach or kale.
Just add a beautiful Caprese Salad for a most delicious and satisfying meal.
I have been making my Crockpot Chicken Cacciatore seemingly forever and receive accolades each time it is served. So I am absolutely thrilled to share my easy to prepare family-pleasing recipe with you.
Crockpot Chicken Cacciatore
Yield: 4 to 6 servings
Click HERE for the complete recipe, but in the nutshell, here is what you do:
Cut onions, peppers and mushrooms into chunks. Coarsely chop garlic cloves.
Place onions, peppers, mushrooms and garlic in the bottom of a 6-quart crockpot; toss vegetables to mix.
Lay chicken over vegetables.
Add bay leaves, tomato paste, diced, whole and crushed tomatoes, spices and salt. With a serving spoon, move around the chicken a bit to allow some of the sauce to seep down into the crockpot.
Cover; cook on High setting for 1 hour. Cook on Low setting for about 5 hours or until chicken and vegetables are thoroughly cooked. (chicken should be at 165 degrees F.) Remove bay leaves. (Can also cook on Low setting for about 7 hours.) Reduce heat to Keep Warm until serving time. As crockpots vary, adjust cooking time if needed. *NOTE: if using boneless skinless breasts, REDUCE cooking time by about 1 hour.
If desired, serve over hot cooked pasta, rice, spaghetti squash or sautéed greens.
Crockpot Chicken Cacciatore
Yield: 4 to 6 servings
Ingredients
- 1 large onion
- 1 red bell pepper
- 1 green bell pepper
- 1 yellow bell pepper
- 8 ounces whole mushrooms any kind
- 5 cloves garlic
- 1 whole cut-up chicken pictured OR 6 boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 6 ounces each)
- 3 bay leaves
- 1 6 ounce can tomato paste
- 1 14 ounce can diced tomatoes, undrained
- 1 28 ounce can whole tomatoes, coarsely chopped, undrained
- 1 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes
- 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes or cayenne or to taste
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt or to taste
Optional (not pictured)
- About 4 cups hot cooked whole wheat brown rice pasta or spaghetti squash (or sauteed greens)
Instructions
- Cut onions, peppers and mushrooms into chunks. Coarsely chop garlic cloves.
- Place onions, peppers, mushrooms and garlic in the bottom of a 6-quart crockpot; toss vegetables to mix.
- Lay chicken over vegetables.
- Add bay leaves, tomato paste, diced, whole and crushed tomatoes, spices and salt. With a serving spoon, move around the chicken a bit to allow some of the sauce to seep down into the crockpot.
- Cover; cook on High setting for 1 hour. Cook on Low setting for about 5 hours or until chicken and vegetables are thoroughly cooked. (chicken should be at 165 degrees F) Remove bay leaves. (Can also cook on Low setting for about 7 hours.) Reduce heat to Keep Warm until serving time. As crockpots vary, adjust cooking time if needed. *NOTE: if using boneless skinless breasts, REDUCE cooking time by about 1 hour.
- If desired, serve over hot cooked pasta, spaghetti squash or sauteed greens.
Notes
Notes:
Like to make this dish on your stove-top? In a deep skillet with a lid, heat 2 teaspoons olive oil over medium setting. Sauté all the veggies until softened, about 8 minutes. Add chicken, tomato paste, tomatoes and seasonings. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low setting. Cover; cook for about 40 until chicken is done (165 degrees F) and veggies are cooked through.
More Favorite Slow Cooker Chicken Dishes
Coming to the Blog: Moroccan Stuffed Peppers
Ceeya Next Time!
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Linda Shapiro, Meal Planning Maven
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