Best Better Than Ever Slow Cooker Cacciatore Recipes

SLOW COOKER CHICKEN CACCIATORE WITH POTATOES

Steps:

• (OPTIONAL STEP): Season chicken with salt and pepper. Heat a small amount of oil in a pan or skillet. Sear skin-side down (if using skin on thighs) first for 3 minutes, until deep golden brown. Rotate and sear the other side for a further 3 minutes.
• Arrange the potatoes in a 6qt slow cooker bowl in single layer. Place the chicken over the potatoes and add the rest of the ingredients over the chicken (except olives and mushrooms).
• Stir to combine; cover and cook on high for 4 hours, or low for 8 hours, until the chicken is tender and falling off the bone.
• Add in the mushrooms and olives in the last 30 minutes of cooking. Season with extra salt, to your tastes and serve.
• Serve over rice, pasta or spaghetti squash.

SLOW COOKER CHICKEN CACCIATORE

Steps:

• Season chicken with salt and black pepper. Heat olive oil in a large non-tick skillet over medium high heat. Sear chicken until golden brown, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer chicken to slow cooker. Alternatively, if pressed for time, skip browning and add chicken straight to a 6 quart slow cooker.
• Add the garlic, onion, bell peppers, carrots, mushrooms, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, dried basil, oregano, rosemary, thyme and salt and black pepper to taste. Stir to combine. **(Do not worry if the mixture looks dry, the tomatoes will release more liquid as this cooks - if you like this dish more saucy or soup-y - you can add 1/2 cup chicken broth or water)
• Cover and cook on high for 3-4 hours or on low for 4-6 hours.
• minutes prior to serving, stir in the olives, kale and corn starch / water slurry into the slow cooker and cook for an additional 20-30 minutes on HIGH, or until sauce thickens up slightly and kale is wilted.
• Sprinkle with chopped parsley, basil leaves and taste and season with additional salt or black pepper, as needed.
• Serve hot over pasta, zucchini noodles, rice or your favorite sides and top with grated parmesan, if desired.

SLOW COOKER CHICKEN CACCIATORE

Steps:

• Lightly coat a large slow cooker with nonstick spray. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium high. Season both sides of the chicken with salt and pepper. Once the oil is hot and shimmering, add the chicken in a single layer. Cook on the first side for 3 to 4 minutes, until browned, moving the chicken as little as possible so that it gets a nice sear. Flip and brown on the other side, about 2 additional minutes. Transfer the chicken to the slow cooker.
• Reduce the skillet heat to medium. With a paper towel, carefully wipe out the skillet. Add the remaining 2 teaspoons olive oil. One the oil is hot, add the onion and cook until beginning to soften, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar. Cook for 1 minute, or until the garlic is fragrant and the vinegar has reduced. Transfer to the slow cooker, along with any pan drippings.
• Top the chicken with the tomatoes, green bell pepper, mushrooms, and Italian seasoning. If using chicken breasts: cover and cook on HIGH for 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 hours or LOW for 4 to 5 hours, until the chicken is cooked through. If using chicken thighs: cover and cook for 3 to 4 hours on HIGH or 5 to 6 hours on LOW. Remove the chicken from the slow cooker as soon as it reaches 165 degrees F. If desired, chop or shred the chicken (or you can serve the pieces whole).
• At this point, you can serve the sauce right away if you are in a hurry, BUT, if time allows, this is what I like to do for the best-ever sauce: Uncover the slow cooker and let cook on HIGH for 1 hour to allow the sauce to thicken and the flavor to further develop. Just before serving, stir in the remaining 1/2 teaspoon balsamic vinegar. Taste and season the sauce with additional salt/pepper as desired. If you've chopped or shredded the chicken, return it to the sauce and toss to combine and warm through. Otherwise, serve the chicken pieces whole with a generous amount of the sauce on top. Serve hot over pasta, rice, polenta, or veggie noodles, with a big extra spoonful of sauce and a sprinkle of parsley and Parmesan.

BETTER-THAN-EVER SLOW-COOKER CACCIATORE

Steps:

• Place onions in slow cooker; top with chicken and bay leaf. Mix next 6 ingredients in medium bowl. Add mushrooms; stir to evenly coat. Spoon over chicken; cover with lid.
• Cook on LOW 7 to 9 hours (or on HIGH 4 to 5 hours). About 15 min. before ready to serve, cook pasta as directed on package, omitting salt.
• Drain pasta. Remove bay leaf from chicken mixture; discard. Spoon chicken mixture over pasta; top with cheese and parsley.

CHICKEN CACCIATORE IN A SLOW COOKER

Steps:

• Place chicken in a slow cooker; stir in spaghetti sauce, tomato paste, mushrooms, onion, bell pepper, garlic, oregano, basil, black pepper, and red pepper flakes. Cover.
• Cook on Low until chicken is tender, 6 to 8 hours.

SAVORY SLOW-COOKED CHICKEN CACCIATORE

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook for 10 minutes or until well browned on all sides. Stir the garlic, Italian seasoning, tomatoes, mushrooms, onions, pepper and 1 cup broth in a 6-quart slow cooker. Add the chicken and turn to coat. Cover and cook on LOW for 7 to 8 hours or until the chicken is cooked through. Remove the chicken from the cooker, cover and keep warm. Stir the cornstarch and remaining broth in a small bowl until the mixture is smooth. Stir the cornstarch mixture in the cooker. Cover and cook on HIGH for 10 minutes or until the mixture boils and thickens. Serve with the chicken and pappardelle.

SLOW COOKER CHICKEN CACCIATORE WITH MUSHROOMS AND BACON

Steps:

• Fry the bacon in a large (12-inch) skillet over medium-high heat until crisp and the fat is rendered, about 8 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to a 6- to 8-quart slow cooker, leaving the fat behind in the skillet. Add the mushrooms to the fat in the skillet and let them cook over medium-high, stirring only a few times, until the mushrooms have shrunk, released their liquid and started to lightly brown, about 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in the chopped garlic and tomato paste. Pour in the wine and let it come to a bubble, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Scrape the mixture into the slow cooker.
• Add the onion, bell pepper, roasted peppers, tomatoes, capers, vinegar, oregano, red-pepper flakes and garlic powder to the slow cooker and stir to combine. Add the chicken, season with 1 teaspoon salt and a generous amount of pepper and stir to combine. Cook on low until the chicken is very tender and the flavors are blended, about 4 hours. (At this point, the dish holds well on the warm setting for several hours.)
• Using two forks, break the chicken up into large chunks. Stir in the parsley and let it warm through. Taste and add salt and pepper if necessary. Serve over polenta or pasta or in hoagie rolls, if desired, or alone in bowls. Top with basil and Parmesan.