Chicken Caccitore

Mark and I are both Italian, but Mark likes Italian-American food far more than I do. I don't mind a good pizza a few times a month, and I'll take fresh food fruit and veggies from Italy above all else, but I'll pass on pasta ten times out of ten. Usually, I make a pot of homemade meatballs and sauce and eat it plain while Mark polishes off a half pound of pasta himself. Tonight's meal was no exception.  However, what I liked about this dish was that it only took about an hour from start to finish, and I didn't have to bust out the crock pot. It was a nice change of pace to have chicken and tomato sauce instead of beef. I adapted recipes from Joy of Cooking, my dad, and Food Network.

Serves: 4 - 6

4 split bone-in chicken breasts OR 1 whole chicken, cut up

dredged in 1/2 cup of flour seasoned with a sprinkling of red pepper and garlic powder, or plain

browned in 1/3 cup of olive oil over medium heat in a large stock pot (you may need to do this in batches)

Once chicken is done, set aside on a plate. Add to olive oil:

4 mashed, chopped garlic cloves and 1 cup sliced mushrooms

When mushrooms are brown and flavorful, add:


1 cup of white wine and cook til reduced by half

Then, add and stir:

1 28-ounce can of crushed or whole tomatoes
2 T tomato paste (I forgot it, but I wish I had added it for a thicker sauce)
3/4 c beef or chicken stock

1/2 teaspoon each of salt, pepper, thyme, marjoram, basil, and oregano
1 bay leaf

Put chicken back in the pot and simmer covered until chicken is cooked. I am very bad at telling when things are done, so my meat thermometer has been a lifesaver. You want the internal temperature to reach 165 degrees for poultry.

Let sauce sit for 5-10 minutes after turning off heat to thicken up a bit. Serve chicken and sauce over pasta, if you so desire. Fresh parmesan cheese is wonderful on top!