Crock Pot Chicken Cacciatore (Hunter's Stew)

My mother used to make chicken cacciatore on the stove top, simmering it for hrs. In 1979 using family recipe, I tried cooking chicken cacciatore in a crock pot. Results were, delicious, and even tastier the next day! The chicken was wonderfully tender... in a slightly spicy tomato sauce with garlic, onions, green pepper and delicious Italian spices! This has been my family favorite recipe for over 70 years!  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)

4 tbsp. unsalted butter

3/4 cup flour

2 tbsp. Crisco shortening

1 large sweet onion

2-4 cloves garlic, depending on taste

2 green peppers

1 can (28 oz.) Hunts Whole Peeled Plum Tomatoes (including juices)

1 can (8-ounce) tomato sauce

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 dashes cayenne pepper

2 -3 bay leaves, depending on size

Step 2: Directions:

In a large cast-iron casserole, melt butter and 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.

To the crockpot, place a single layer of onions slices on the bottom of crock. This will prevent chicken from sticking to bottom, while flavoring the chicken.

Place half of the chicken on top of onion slices, half of onions, green pepper and garlic.

Repeat for top layer, adding the rest of the chicken, onions, green pepper and garlic.

In a bowl, empty the can of plum tomatoes. Then cut (one tomato at a time) each tomato in half, if larger sized, cut in half then in cut- then half in half again. I use kitchen shears to cut up the tomatoes, making it easier to control while cutting, and is a whole lot cleaner to clean up afterwards!!!

To the cut up tomatoes, add tomato sauce, salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper, dried oregano leaves, dried basil leaves, celery seed, and cayenne pepper, mixing well to until combined.

Once all of the chicken, onions, green pepper and garlic are in the crockpot, add the combined the tomato ingredients and pour over the chicken, making sure some of the mixture runs down the sides, reaching to the bottom layers.

Add bay leafs. Cover, cook on Low 8-10 hours or in High 4-5 hours.

Once the chicken is done cooking, remove lid, discard bay leafs.

With a large slotted spoon, carefully remove the chicken, and try to be careful not to break it apart too much into a large bowl. With each piece of chicken, remove the skin and bones from the chicken then return chicken to crockpot, stirring all ingredients to combine.

Serve with rice, pasta, or mashed potatoes. Yields:46 servings, depending on pieces chicken you started with.

Step 3: The Fry Pan:

Over low heat, heat butter and olive oil until butter is melted. Choose a heavy skillet that is the right size for the amount of chicken you have. I personally prefer using a large cast-iron skillet, but you can use a nonstick or regular pan.

If the skillet is too large, pan juices can burn. If it's too small, the poultry will steam instead of brown. If chicken pieces are large and you need to sauté them in batches, add additional olive oil and butter as necessary.

Step 4: Seasoning the Chicken:

Season chicken on both sides with seasoning salt and pepper.

Step 5: Seasoning Flour:

in a food storage bag, combine flour and add saltpeter and paprika as desired.

Step 6: Shake Shake Shake:

To bag, add chicken, 1 piece at a time,then close bag tightly... then shake, shake, shake to evenly coat the chicken.

Step 7: Into the Pan:

Over medium/high heat, add chicken pieces in a single layer without crowding. Cook 8 to 10 minutes per side or until chicken is browned; remove with tongs. If browning too quickly, turn the heat down to medium.
When chicken is browned, remove with tongs, transfer to a plate to drain. Repeat with remaining chicken pieces.

Step 8: Tomatoes:

In a bowl, combine cut up tomatoes including juice: I individually cut each tomato in half then in half again.

Step 9:

Add tomatoes to tomatoes the bowl, adding the tomato sauce.

Step 10: Spices:

To the tomatoes and tomato sauce add the basil, oregano, celery seed, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper. Mixed to combine ingredients.

Step 11: Preparing Vegetables:

Remove outer layer of onion, slicing the onion into medium slices, then cut slices in half. Loosen the layers of the cut onion.

Step 12: Garlic

Peel off papery layers. Peel away as many of the skins as possible and discard. Press into a tight garlic bulb with the palm of your hand. Peel the cloves. Chop the garlic into thinner the slices, using a sharp knife and, be careful avoid cutting yourself.

Step 13: Green Pepper:

Using a sharp knife, slice off the tops of the green peppers, removing the stems. without the difficulty of cutting through or around it. Once the cap is removed, slice off the edible parts. I slice pepper into medium rings, then I cut the green pepper rings in half.

Step 14: Into the Crock, It's the Onions:

To the crockpot, place a single layer of onions slices on the bottom of crock. This will prevent chicken from sticking to bottom, while flavoring the chicken.

Step 15:

Place half of the chicken (if you used more then 2-3 pieces of chicken, but if you are using only 2-3 pieces of chicken, place all of it on onion slices crockpot) on top of onion slices,

Step 16: Garlic:

Add 1/2 of the chopped garlic if you are using more then 2-3 pieces of chicken. Add the rest of chicken pieces, then add remaining garlic to the chicken.
But if you are using only 2-3 pieces of chicken, place all of the chopped garlic on chicken.

Step 17: Onions:

Add 1/2 of the remaining sliced onions to chicken; if you are using more then 2-3 pieces of chicken. Add the rest of chicken pieces, then add remaining onions to the chicken.

.But if you are using only 2-3 pieces of chicken, add remaining sliced onions onto chicken.

Step 18: Green Pepper

Add 1/2 of the remaining sliced green peppers to chicken; if you are using more then 2-3 pieces of chicken. Add the rest of chicken pieces, then add remaining green pepper slices to the chicken

.But if you are using only 2-3 pieces of chicken, add the remaining slices of green peppers onto chicken.

Step 19:

Slowly add the tomato mixture to crockpot, pouring mixture over the chicken, making sure some of it runs down the sides, reaching to the onions on bottom of crock, if more then one layer.
If only one layer mixture will reach the onions on bottom of crock.

Step 20: Cover:

Place cover on top of crock.

Step 21: OPPS!!!

Oh my, looking inside, I noticed that I forgot to add the bay leafs, and thats not the first time!!. So, top off, add by leaves, and replace cover..

Step 22: Set Timer:

Place the crockpot cook well into the cooker. Set the timer 4-6 High or 8-10 hours if you want extra slow cooking, for example: if you work, or have a busy schedule, the chicken will slowly cook while your away!!

Step 23: Checking:

Three to four hours cooking I remove lid and quickly stir the Chicken Cacciatore to makes sure nothing is sticking to bottom of crock.

Step 24: Simmer Away!!

Return cover and cook until cook time is completed and chicken is fork tender.

Step 25: Remove Chicken:

Once the cook time is completed and chicken is done cooking, remove lid, discard bay leafs. With a large slotted spoon, carefully remove the chicken, and try to be careful not to break it apart too much: into a large bowl or plate. Allow the chicken to cool slightly, just enough to handle the chicken without burning your fingers.

Step 26: Debone, De Skin and Fat:

With each piece of chicken, remove the skin and bones from the chicken, discarding.Break chicken into large bite size pieces and return to the crockpot, stirring all ingredients to combine.