Chicken Cacciatore with Mushrooms and Capers

What could make chicken cacciatore even better? Mushrooms and capers.

Chicken cacciatore with mushrooms and capers

 

 Ingredients

• 1.5 lbs chicken breast (or thighs, or mixture), cut thinly or pounded
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 green pepper, diced
• 1 red pepper, diced
• 4 oz (about 3/4 regular store package) baby Portobello mushrooms, sliced - I only use the smaller ones in the package
• 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 28 oz can tomatoes (crushed or diced) with juice (Do not drain!!!)
• 1/2 cup dry white wine (chardonnay or similar) - 3/4 cup if using diced tomatoes
• 1/2 cup reduced sodium chicken broth (reduced sodium is very important) - 3/4 cup if using diced tomatoes
• 3 tablespoons drained capers (more or less to taste)
• 1.5 tsp dried oregano leaves
• 3 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
• salt
• pepper

Serves family of 4

Directions

1. Pour EVOO into large sauté pan and put over medium heat
2. Lightly salt and pepper your chicken, then dredge lightly in flour
3. Add chicken to pan when hot. Cook each side until lightly browned, about 4 minutes each side
4. Remove chicken and plate.
5. In same sauté pan, add onion, peppers, mushrooms, garlic. Cook until onions soften, about 5 minutes. Then season (generously) with salt and pepper
6. Add wine, simmer until reduced by half, about 4 minutes **
7. Add tomatoes, broth, capers and oregano. Let simmer for ~5 minutes.
8. Add chicken, turn to coat in sauce. Bring to a simmer.
9. Simmer over medium-low heat until chicken is completely cooked through.
10. Serve chicken covered in sauce and veggies, sprinkle cheese and fresh basil over the top for added flavor. Can serve over rice, pasta, mashed potatoes or as-is.

 

**If you are making this for family with children and worried about the wine, you can reduce the wine for longer, or just omit. The taste will suffer just a bit, but you can rest easier. Personally, I think cooking the wine for 5 extra minutes is fine!

Step 4, Remove chicken and plate

Step 5, Add onion, peppers, mushrooms and garlic and sauté

Step 7b Let sauce simmer for ~5 min before adding chicken

Step 7, Add tomatoes, broth, capers and oregano

 

Killer hotdish

This is comfort food at it's finest. It's one of my husband's favorite meals, and the recipe makes enough for plenty of leftovers.

"Killer hotdish"

Ingredients:
4 boneless chicken breasts
2 (10.75 oz) cans cream of chicken soup
42 oz chicken broth
1/2 cup butter - sliced (you can definitely cut this down - I actually only use about 2 tbsp)
2 cans sliced mushrooms
Egg noodles

Directions:
Place uncooked chicken at bottom of crockpot.
Top with cream of chicken, chicken broth and butter.
Cook on low ~8 hours
Take out chicken and put on plate - use two forks to pull apart until you have a plate full of pulled chicken.
Put chicken back in crock pot.
Add mushrooms and egg noodles. Cook until noodles are done (~30 minutes).
Spoon into bowl and serve!