Chicken Cacciatore

Cacciatore means "hunter" in Italian.  The preparation of this dish means it is prepared "hunter-style" with onions, tomatoes, herbs, and wine.  Often it is prepared with rabbit, but we don't eat bunny foo-foo at our house so I opted for chicken instead. When I saw the dish included mushrooms and red wine, I knew it would be a winner for Mr. Devilish Dish.  Sometimes I'm picky and mushrooms are one of the things I'm picky about.  Turns out I was entirely wrong and I've really been missing out by not making this dish sooner.  It's very rich and hearty and I can't even begin to describe to you how much flavor is in the robust red sauce.  It's quite easy to prepare as everything goes in one pot, so don't be intimidated by the ingredient list.  Just chop everything ahead of time like I did.  It's really motivating when you see all of the beautiful, fresh vegetables ready to go into the cooking pot.  In addition, your house will smell amazing while this is cooking.  An ideal dish for company, as it is hearty and complex in flavors, but simple to prepare in one pot.  Whether you are a hunter, or you only hunt deals at the grocery store, you're sure to love this "hunter-style" dish!

A hearty, robust sauce full
of fresh vegetables and herbs.

Prep your ingredients ahead of time.
Everything goes into one pot,
making it quite easy to prepare.
Look at all of that color!

One pot preparation,
easy clean up!

So much flavor in one pot!

Chicken Cacciatore
Chicken prepared "hunter-style"
Served with pasta and crusty bread.
A perfect company dish...

Chicken Cacciatore

2 tablespoons olive oil
4 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 tablespoons freshly minced garlic
1 medium white onion, diced
2 red bell peppers, diced
1 large carrot, peeled and diced
1 pound white mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon basil
2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley
8 sprigs fresh thyme
3/4 cup red wine
1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
2 tablespoons tomato paste
6-8 Roma tomatoes, halved
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 cup chopped pitted Kalamata olives

In a large Dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium high heat.  Season the chicken breasts generously with salt and pepper and set aside.  When the olive oil is hot, add the garlic, stirring constantly about 30 seconds, until very fragrant.  Add the onion, bell pepper, carrot, mushrooms, oregano, basil, parsley and thyme.  Continue cooking for approximately 5 minutes or until the onion is transparent and the vegetables are beginning to soften.  Push the vegetables to one side and add the chicken, searing until both sides are golden brown.  (Continue to stir the vegetables so they don't stick to the pan.) Remove the chicken from the pot and stir in the wine, to deglaze the bottom of the pot.  Allow the wine to simmer and reduce for approximately 5 minutes.  Stir in the crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, Roma tomatoes and chili flakes.  Return the chicken to the pot, nestling down in the sauce.  Cover the pot with a lid and place in a preheated 375 degree F oven for 50 minutes.  Remove from oven, stir in olives, taste and adjust seasonings and return covered to the oven for an additional 20 minutes.  Remove thyme sprigs, and serve over pasta with crusty bread.

Prep Time:  Approximately 25 minutes     Cook Time:  Approximately 1.5 hours