Chicken cacciatore is a simple recipe to prepare and uses just one pot (jump to recipe). I enjoy preparing this recipe as I can make it in advance and heat it up for dinner or refrigerate overnight, heat in the microwave and serve with cooked spaghetti or rice. You just need to add a salad and you have a complete meal to impress family and friends.

I use bone-in chicken breasts that I cut into quarters rather than use boneless chicken breasts. I find the bone gives more flavor to the dish but does take a longer cooking time. Most of the ingredients aside from the canned tomatoes are fresh, therefore this dish has a very fresh, right from the garden, taste. If you prefer to use a boneless breast, then after browning the chicken and removing from the skillet, let the remaining ingredients cook until they are thoroughly cooked and all ingredients are well blended. Then add the browned boneless chicken breast and cook until the chicken is thoroughly cooked.

Ingredients:

Serves: 4

• 2 bone-in chicken breasts cut into quarters
• 2 bell peppers coarsely chopped
• 1 medium onions coarsely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic finely minced
• 8 oz pkg. button mushrooms sliced
• 1 jalapeño pepper finely chopped (optional)
• 4 fresh Italian plum tomatoes cut into quarters
• 28 oz canned crushed tomatoes
• 1/2 cup red wine
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tbs fresh basil chopped
• Salt
• Black pepper
• Extra virgin olive oil

Directions:

1. Chop vegetables and cut bone-in breasts into quarters with kitchen shears.
   
2. Coat bottom of deep frying pan with Extra Virgin olive oil and heat over medium high heat.
3. Sauté quartered chicken breast just until slightly brown. Remove from pan and set aside.
4. Add bell peppers and sauté until soft.
   
5. Then add onions and sauté until soft.
6. Add mushrooms and chopped garlic and sauté until soft.
7. Season vegetables with salt and black pepper.
8. Add jalapeño (optional)
9. Return browned chicken breast to the pan with vegetables.
10. Add crushed tomatoes, red wine, basil, oregano and season with salt and black pepper. Blend all ingredients together, loosely cover pan and continue cooking over medium low heat and stir occasionally until chicken is fully cooked and flavors are blended. Approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes.
    
11. Add fresh basil and cook 5 minutes.

Serve with spaghetti or rice and sprinkle with grated parmesan cheese. A salad and warm Italian bread will complete the meal.