Chicken Cacciatore Low and Slow

Chicken Cacciatore is the model comfort food and is perfectly suited to the chilly nights that Autumn brings. The word cacciatore is Italian for “hunter,” and in cooking it usually refers to the sauce covering browned chicken or rabbit. Cacciatore is a rustic Italian dish made with vegetables, mushrooms and of course tomato sauce. It is simmered for a long time to bring out the flavors and to allow the meat to become meltingly tender. Because the dish is best when cook low and slow, recipes can be easily adapted to crock pot cooking. This chicken, braised in a zesty tomato sauce, goes well with rice, pasta or even soft polenta.

3 lb. package of chicken thighs (about 12)
1/3 cup flour
1 tablespoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoon paprika
1/4 cup olive oil
1 bell pepper, chopped
1 yellow onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons oregano
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 cup dry white wine
3/4 cup chicken broth
1 (14.5-ounce) can Red Gold® Diced Tomatoes
1 (15-ounce) cans Red Gold® Crushed Tomatoes
1 cup button or cremini mushrooms, sliced

Rinse the chicken pieces and trim off any excess skin and fat, and then pat dry. On a large plate, stir together the flour, salt, pepper and paprika. Coat the chicken pieces evenly with the flour mixture, shaking off the excess. The paprika gives the chicken a beautiful color and helps to season the sauce as it cooks.

In a large fry pan over medium-high heat, warm the oil. Add the chicken pieces, in batches if necessary, skin side down, and cook until golden brown on the bottom, about 7 minutes. Turn the chicken and cook on the second side for another 3 to 4 minutes until lightly browned. Transfer the chicken pieces to the slow cooker.

Drain off any extra oil, and return the pan to medium-high heat. Add the bell peppers, onion and garlic and sauté until they start to soften, about 3 minutes. Add oregano and pepper flakes and stir to combine.  Pour in the wine and broth, and deglaze the pan, stirring to scrape up the browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Stir in both cans of Red Gold® tomatoes and bring to a simmer. Pour the mixture over the chicken. Cover and cook on the high-heat setting for 4 hours or the low-heat setting for 8 hours.

Add the sliced mushrooms to the crock about 10 minutes before you are ready to serve. Taste the sauce and adjust the seasonings by adding additional salt and pepper as needed. Serve hot by itself or over pasta, rice, mashed potatoes, or polenta to absorb all the amazing sauce!

Wouldn't it be nice after picking up the kids, the dry cleaning, and the groceries to go home to the aroma of a great tasting, warm meal waiting for you? The folks at Red Gold want to help make that happen by giving away a Red Gold branded Crock-Pot to two of our loyal consumers everyday until Wednesday, October 8th.

But wait!! It gets even better! Red Gold is giving us an opportunity to celebrate Fall with our readers as well! We are hosting a give-away of a Red Gold Gift Pack with a variety six-pack of Red Gold Tomatoes, a Red Gold apron, Red Gold wooden spoon and six Fall-inspired slow cooker recipes. They are providing the gift pack and shipping it directly to the winner. Enter below for your chance to win!