Most people enjoy chicken cacciatore, and most people rarely eat it
because most people don’t want to take the time to put it all together.
Chicken cacciatore is a somewhat intricate dish to make, but this recipe
is going to make it very simple. Keep in mind, it’s not a true chicken
cacciatore, which is why this is the cheaters way.
The beauty of this chicken recipe is that it doesn’t take long to throw
together, and you don’t have to tend to it while it cooks. We’re going
to put it in a crock pot, so you can put it in the pot in the morning,
run off to work, do errands or just relax, and your dinner will be ready
at supper time.
1 whole cut up chicken (can use 3-4 pounds boneless breast or
thighs if preferred)
1 - 28 ounce can of Italian style chopped tomatoes
1 cup of canned chicken broth
1 chopped onion
1 chopped green bell pepper
1 pound sliced mushrooms (buy them pre-sliced to save time)
3 tablespoons of olive oil (optional, but good for you)
1 heaping tablespoon of garlic powder
Salt and pepper to taste
Turn on a large crock pot on low heat and leave the lid on.
If you want, you can remove the skin from the chicken. Trim the fat from
the chicken and discard. Salt and pepper the chicken parts to taste.
In a large mixing bowl, add together the Italian style tomatoes, the
chicken broth, the chopped onion and bell pepper (these may be omitted
if you are more interested in saving time, or maybe you can find them in
the grocery store already chopped), the mushrooms, the olive oil, the
garlic and the salt and pepper to taste. Lots of pepper is good in this
recipe. Blend the ingredients well.
Place the chicken parts in the crock pot then pour the tomato mixture
over the chicken in the crock pot. Blend the chicken and the tomato
mixture together. It doesn’t have to be perfect.
Put the lid back on and leave on low heat and cook for 7 or 8 hours. You
can cook it longer if you are busy with something. That’s the beauty of
crock pots; your food is not going to burn or get too dry.
If you are in a bigger hurry, put the heat of the crock pot on high and
cook for 4 hours.
It doesn’t take long to put the tomato mixture together, but if you know
you are going to be in a hurry the next day you can put it together and
store it in the refrigerator and it will be ready to go in the morning –
just pour it over the salted and peppered chicken parts and you’re good
to go.
This Cheater’s Chicken Cacciatore goes well over pasta like spaghetti
noodles of fettuccini noodles. Serve with warm garlic bread.
