Chicken Cacciatore

Tonight I was The Pioneer Woman for 2 hours happily cooking in my kitchen. We can all pretend, right? I just love that lady and she has some of the best recipes!

Some evenings I am in the mood to cook up something quick and easy, but tonight I was in the mood to spend a little more time in the kitchen so I tried PW's Chicken Cacciatore. What a wonderful dinner it made! The dish was just full of flavor and the chicken was so tender. Two thumbs up for this recipe!



Chicken Cacciatore
Source: The Pioneer Woman

1 lb Pasta or Egg Noodles
8 whole Chicken Thighs, Skin On
Salt And Freshly Ground Black Pepper, To Taste
½ c. Flour
4 T. Olive Oil
2 T. Butter
1 whole Medium Onion, Halved And Sliced
2 whole Red Bell Peppers, Cored And Sliced (not too thin)
2 whole Green Bell Peppers, Cored And Sliced (not too thin)
5 cloves Garlic, Diced
12 oz. fresh Mushrooms, Sliced
½ t. Ground Thyme
¼ t. Turmeric
½ t. Kosher Salt
Red Pepper Flakes, Crushed, To Taste (optional)
¾ c. Dry White Wine
1 can (28 oz.) Whole Or Diced Tomatoes (with Their Juice)
Chopped Flat Leaf Parsley
Parmesan Cheese, For Sprinkling

Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F).

Cook pasta according to package directions. Do not overcook! Drain and set aside.

Salt and pepper both sides of the pieces of chicken. Dredge chicken in flour. Heat olive oil and butter in a heavy skillet or Dutch oven on the stovetop over medium-high heat. Place chicken skin down in pan, four pieces at a time. Brown chicken on both sides, then remove to a clean plate. Repeat with remaining chicken. Pour off half the fat in the pan and discard.

Add sliced onions and peppers, as well as the garlic. Stir around for 1 minute. Add mushrooms and stir around for 1 minute. Add thyme, turmeric, and salt. (And crushed red pepper flakes if you like things a little spicy.) Add extra black pepper to taste. Stir, then pour in wine. Allow to bubble.

Pour in canned tomatoes and stir to combine. Add chicken back into the pan, skin side up, without totally submerging the chicken. Place lid on the pot and put it into the oven for 45 minutes. Remove lid and increase heat to 375 degrees. Cook for an additional 15 minutes.

Remove pan from the oven. Remove chicken from the pot and place it on a plate. Remove vegetables from pot and place them on a plate. Return pot to burner and turn heat to medium high. Cook and reduce sauce for a couple of minutes.

Pour cooked, drained noodles on a large platter or in a big serving bowl. Add vegetables all over the top, then place chicken pieces on top of the vegetables. Spoon juices from the pot over the chicken and pasta (amount to taste.)

Before serving, sprinkle on chopped fresh parsley and grated Parmesan.