Introduction: Chicken Cacciatore
The great advantage when using a slow cooker, you won’t slave over the stove, or heat the kitchen up. You simply put your ingredients in the slow cooker before going to work or a day of shopping, later in the day, you come home to a wonderful hot meal.
Step 1: Ingredients:
1 chicken, cut into serving pieces (I leave the skin on, boned in chicken, for better flavor)
2 medium onions, thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 can (28 oz.) Hunts Whole Peeled Plum Tomatoes including juices, cut up
1 can (8-ounce) tomato sauce
2 green peppers, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon salt
½ tsp. black pepper, more or less to taste
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 -3 teaspoon dried oregano leaves, crushed
1-2 teaspoon dried basil leaves, crushed
1/2 teaspoon celery seed
2 dash cayenne pepper
2 -3 bay leaves
Step 2:
In a large cast-iron casserole, melt 2 tablespoons butter and 1 tablespoon crisco shortening. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and dust with flour. Add half of the chicken to the casserole and cook over moderately high heat, turning occasionally, until browned all over, about 7 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Repeat with the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and chicken.
Step 3:
In the crockpot, place a single layer of onions slices on the bottom of crock.
Step 4:
Place half of the chicken pieces on top of onion slices, half of onions, green pepper and garlic.
Next, add rest of the chicken pieces, then remaining onions, green pepper and garlic.
Step 5:
In a bowl, combine tomatoes, cut up, tomato sauce, salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper, dried oregano leaves, dried basil leaves, celery seed, and cayenne pepper. Mixing the spices with the tomato ingredients until well combined, pour over the top chicken, onions, green pepper and garlic. Pour mixture over the chicken in crock, then add the bay leaves.
Step 6:
Cover and cook on Low 6-8 hours or High for 3-4 hours.
Step 7:
Discard bay leafs; with a large slotted spoon, carefully remove the chicken pieces, careful not to break it apart too much. remove the skin and bones from the chicken then return chicken to crockpot, stirring all ingredients to combine. Served over rice, noodles or mashed potatoes. Serves: 4-6 servings.