Monday, November 4, 2013

Make it Like Mom: Chicken Cacciatore



Anyone who knows me is well aware that I love a good theme. Themed parties, meals, mix tapes. Love it. So for this week, I thought it would be fun to have a theme for my blog: Make it Like Mom Week. I'll be posting some of my favorite recipes that my mom made when I was growing up and that are still some of my go-to meals, made the same way she made them, today.

First up is Chicken Cacciatore. Don't let the terrible photo deter you - this is a delicious dish! I think I need to quit my job so I can start doing all of my cooking and photography during the day. I can't for the life of me get a good photo in my kitchen at night!

In addition to being a really good, hearty, comforting food, it's really very healthy too. Of course, the mashed potatoes that I serve with it (because that's how my mom did it!) take the health factor down a notch, but the cacciatore itself, with lean chicken breast and lots of veggies, is quite good for you.

Chicken Cacciatore

Ingredients:

1 – 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs
¼ cup olive oil
½ cup all-purpose flour
2 cups thinly sliced onion rings
½ cup chopped green pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 can (16 oz.) diced tomatoes, drained (I often use 2 cans if my chicken weight is closer to 2 lbs than 1 lb.)
1 can (8 oz.) tomato sauce
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon oregano


Directions:


Rinse chicken and pat dry. Heat oil in large skillet or Dutch oven. Coat chicken pieces with flour. Cook chicken over medium heat 15 to 20 minutes or until light brown. Remove chicken; set aside.
Add onion rings, green pepper and garlic to skillet; cook and stir over medium heat until onions and peppers are tender. Stir in remaining ingredients. Add chicken to sauce. Cover tightly; simmer 30 to 40 minutes.


As I said, I serve this over mashed potatoes, because that's how my mom did it. I love how the sauce seeps into the potatoes and adds such flavor. However, my best friend's mom used this same chicken cacciatore recipe and she served it over pasta, so that's an option too.

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