Chicken Cacciatore

Start by chopping onion and garlic and sauteing in olive oil

Remove that mixture and place it in your blender.

Add whole chicken thighs (or you can chop them up) to pan and cook until golden.

Remove from pan and set on a papertowel.

Add chicken broth, wine, tomato paste, thyme, salt, pepper 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

1 lb. chicken thighs, (cut into bite-sized pieces if you want too, I usually don't cut them till after I take them out of the crockpot)

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 (you can also use apple or white grape juice mixed with 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar)

1 1/2 c. chicken broth

1/4 tsp. thyme

1/4 tsp. oregano

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

1 green bell pepper, chopped (can substitute other colors)

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.

Add chicken pieces 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, 1 tsp. salt, 1 tsp. black pepper 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.