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When I read up a little on the history of this dish I knew the reason I like it. Cacciatore means ‘hunter’ in Italian, usually made with chicken or rabbit and cooked in a tomato base broth, onions and peppers. I love hosting soup parties and gathering with friends. This dish is full of rich flavors, starting with a tomato base, onions and peppers and mushrooms. I served this dish with garlic mashed potatoes but polenta would work perfectly with this as well.
Chicken Cacciatore with Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Ingredients
- 6 Chicken Thighs, boneless and skinless
- Flour, for dusting
- Olive Oil
- Butter
- Salt and Pepper
- 3-4 Garlic Cloves
- 3 small Carrots, chopped
- 1 Onion, sliced and chopped
- 1 Green Pepper, sliced and chopped
- 1 Red Pepper, sliced and chopped
- 1 8oz package Mushrooms, sliced
- 1 14.5oz can Fire Roasted Tomatoes
- 1 28oz can Crushed Tomatoes
- 1 4.5oz can Tomato Paste
- 1 Tbsp Thyme
- 1 tsp Rosemary
- ¼ – 1/3 cup Red or White wine or chicken broth, if needed
Garlic Mashed Potatoes
- 10-12 small Russet or regular size White Potatoes, peeled and cut up
- 4-5 Garlic cloves, minced
- 4 Tbsp Butter
- ¼ – ½ cup of Milk or Half and Half
- Salt and Pepper
- Parsley or chives, chopped, for garnish
Directions
- Prep the vegetables. Chop up all of the vegetables – garlic, carrots, onion, peppers and cut in the mushrooms in thirds. Rough chop the thyme and rosemary.
- In a shallow dish add the flour, salt and pepper. Dust the chicken thighs on both sides. In a large braiser or pan, on medium to high heat drizzle oil and a little butter and brown the chicken thighs on each side until brown. Remove and place on a plate.
- In the pan, on medium to high heat, drizzle a little oil, add the carrots and onions and salt and pepper and cook until al dente, about 5-8 minutes. Add in the peppers and cook until al dente – about another 5 minutes. Remove. Add in the mushrooms and cook until brown. Add back the vegetables to the pan with the tomato paste, herbs and garlic and cook until aromatic, about another 2 minutes. Add in the wine or broth, if needed and cook until the alcohol has cooked away, about 2 minutes.
- Add in the fire roasted tomatoes and crushed tomatoes to the pan and stir all the ingredients together. Nestle the chicken pieces into the sauce and continue to cook,
- on medium to low heat, for another 20-30 minutes until the chicken is cooked.
- Serve on the side or partially over the mashed potatoes and garnish with chives and/or parsley. Goes well with a green salad.
Garlic Mashed Potatoes
- In a large pot, cook the potatoes until done. Drain.
- Add in the butter, garlic and salt and pepper and mash the potatoes with a potato masher or hand mixer until chunky. Slowly add in the milk or half and half, if needed, and continue to mix until smooth or the desired consistency. Continue to cook on low heat to keep warm. Garnish with chives or parsley.
Enjoy ☺
