Thursday, October 5, 2017

Crockpot Chicken Cacciatore #recipe @LucyBurdette



LUCY BURDETTE: With a ton of company coming this summer, it was time to try a new recipe in my crockpot, something that would pop with flavor even if it was lower in sodium. I opted for chicken cacciatore. Though there are many different versions of this dish, all include chicken, onions, peppers, seasonings, and some kind of tomato product. You can mix and match according to your family's preferences. I had fresh basil and sage, so I used those, along with dried oregano and a bay leaf. I also opted for a jar of the excellent heirloom tomato marinara sauce made by one of our local markets. You could replace that with crushed tomatoes, chicken broth and tomato paste if you prefer. I also added half a cup of red wine, plus mushrooms and baby kale at the end.

Ingredients

Four boneless skinless chicken breasts (add more for more people--there's plenty of sauce!)
One large onion, chopped
One large pepper, chopped
One large clove garlic, chopped
1/2 cup red wine
One scant teaspoon dried oregano
Four fresh basil leaves, chopped 

Two fresh sage leaves, chopped
One bay leaf 
24 ounce jar marinara sauce or crushed tomatoes
10 ounces mushrooms (I used Baby Bella)
Handful of baby kale or spinach
Spaghetti of your choosing

Brown the chicken breast, either in a frying pan or in your slow cooker if it has that setting. I am lucky to have a browning setting on mine, which saves in clean-up. 



Scrape in the onions and peppers and cook another couple of minutes. Add the red wine and spices, along with the garlic. 


Let that cook down a few minutes, then add the marinara or crushed tomatoes.


Change the setting to low, and cook six hours. Add the chopped mushrooms and kale or spinach, turn the setting to high and cook another half hour. You might also add a handful of olives or several teaspoons capers if you like them and can handle the salt. 


Serve over spaghetti with Parmesan cheese grated over the top.



Lucy Burdette writes the Key West food critic mysteries--find them wherever books are sold! Find her on FacebookTwitter, and Pinterest--Instagram too...

11 comments:

  1. Chicken cacciatore is a wonderful dish. Thanks for a slow cooker version that looks delicious.

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  2. That looks good, Lucy. I'm sitting here wondering if I have enough of the ingredients to give it a shot tonight.

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    1. It’s the kind of recipe that you could fudge a little. Let us know how it comes out

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  3. Lucy, this looks incredible! Nice job. ~ Daryl

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  4. We used to have the stovetop version all the time when I was growing up - this brings back memories! Any suggestions for adding some spice without distracting from the other flavors?

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  5. Wow! Will have to try this. Love crockpot recipes.

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    1. Me too! So satisfying to have the dinner ready at the end of the day – it’s like magic

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  6. Yum! It’s still in the 90s in Arizona, but that’s a great time for crock pot meals. No kitchen time in the heat of the day. This one looks worth trying. Like all the fresh ingredients you chose. Thanks

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    1. If you mean add some heat, you could sprinkle in some red pepper flakes. If you want more flavor, try increasing the basil and maybe the sage and oregano. But it’s pretty flavorful as it is!

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